Bus driver’s left-of-centre idea to bust traffic goes viral

A southeast Queensland bus driver has come up with his own left-of-centre idea to help bust road congestion north of Brisbane, with one of the state’s most prominent transport advocates suggesting it’s an idea worth considering.

Bribie Island resident Morgan Freney has come up with a plan to bust road congestion with a new rail line.

QUEENSLAND’S leading train advocate has jumped on board a Bribie Island resident’s off-the-rails idea to bust road congestion.

Calls for a second Bribie bridge have been growing louder in recent months, with Moreton Bay Regional Council 2020 mayoral candidates Adrian Raedel and Dean Teasdale throwing their support behind the idea.

And state Liberal MP for Pumicestone Simone Wilson will later this month host a community forum to discuss what needs to be done to relieve pressure on Bribie Island Rd.

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But local resident Morgan Freney, who drives buses in Caboolture, has come up with his own left of centre idea.

Mr Freney posted images to Facebook of his plans to create a Bribie Island rail line, which received 183 comments and 125 reactions.

Bribie Island resident and Caboolture bus driver Morgan Freney’s idea went viral on social media.

“The thing about building another bridge is it will be another 15 years before it will be replaced and it’s going to continue getting busier,” he said.

“Everyone’s going to need to get to work in Caboolture and the city, so I thought ‘why not?’.”

Using the TransLink app Mr Freney calculated his idea would cut public transport travel times by 44 minutes to Brisbane and up to 34 minutes to Morayfield Shopping Centre.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said it could take cars off the Bruce Hwy and Bribie Island Rd, assist population growth and add value to properties in the region.

“In principle it’s a good idea, but there’d have to be a lot of work done for a feasibility study,” he said.

“It’s something worth looking at in the longer term depending on the projected population.”

The council has a history of backing public transport infrastructure after it part-funded the Redcliffe Peninsula Line, which was completed in 2016 after years of lobbying both state and federal governments.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Moreton Bay Mayor Allan Sutherland at the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line. Photo: Adam Armstrong

But Mayor Allan Sutherland said the council wouldn’t be rushing into another large-scale rail commitment any time soon.

“If the Redcliffe Peninsula Railway Line experience taught us anything, these discussions can literally take 100 years,” he said.

“What I want to see is all levels of government working together on a more immediate solution to safety and congestion concerns on Bribie Island Road as we all know is a significant problem.”

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said there were no plans for a Bribie rail line.

“We have completed a study to identify a corridor for a future duplication/replacement of Bribie Island Bridge,” she said.

“The study also confirmed the current bridge will continue to meet community needs until 2031.”

Local MP Ms Wilson’s forum is scheduled for 10.30am March 17 at the corner of Sylvan Beach Esp and Benabrow Ave, Bellara.

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