Businesses concerned they don’t know what’s going on with bus corridor

A $53m bus transitway in Brisbane’s north is still in the design phase, with one property owner saying businesses along the proposed route still don’t know what’s going on.

A bus on Gympie Rd, Kedron. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

DESIGN of the $53m Northern Transitway is still underway with more community consultation planned over coming months.

However, one property owner along the 2.3km bus corridor route said it doesn’t matter how much community consultation takes place, the project will still have a negative impact on his and other small businesses.

The Northern Transitway corridor will run along Gympie Rd from Sadlier St, Kedron to Hamilton Rd, Chermside, with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) stating it will provide a safer and more efficient public transport system with improved travel times and greater capacity.

A Brisbane City Council bus on Gympie Road, Kedron. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

TMR’s original timeline for the project indicated a final design would be released mid-2019, with the construction tender awarded later this year and construction to start early in 2020.

A TMR spokesman said the current design phase followed consultation with the local community and key stakeholders late last year.

“This included the project team undertaking a door knock of local businesses along Gympie Rd within the project area to discuss the project and potential impacts,” the spokesman said.

However this is news to Peter Kentrotis, who owns property at 751 Gympie Rd, Chermside.

“In our opinion there hasn’t been any community consultation,” Mr Kentrotis said.

“All we know is they’re taking all the parking off Gympie Rd.

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“All the other property owners I’ve spoken to say they don’t know what’s going on.

“I’ve spoken to three different business owners, one a coffee shop who thought it was going to affect his business that much that he would be forced to close.”

In December last year, a number of business owners raised concerns about the impact on their businesses if there were no provisions for loading zones or parking along the impacted section of Gympie Rd.

The TMR spokesman said further community consultation “focusing on the design” was scheduled over the coming months.

“Residents will continue to receive updated information about the project and proposed design,” the spokesman said.

“Notifications will be distributed to advise the time and location of upcoming public information sessions.

“The design will be finalised once feedback from community consultation has been evaluated.”

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Mr Kentrotis said he hoped TMR did do that extra community consultation “but there’s no alternative”.

“It (the Transitway) is inevitable.

“We’ve paid astronomical rates and taxes over many years, my family since 1958, and the input they are saying we are going to have through community consultation is nothing.”