Gold Coast free loading bus gangs as drivers tired of being free service for louts

Children younger than 10 are regular fare evaders on Gold Coast buses, along with older teens using the city’s expanding public transport network to meet up in gangs.

Police check for free loaders on a Surfside Bus.

CHILDREN younger than 10 are regular fare evaders on Gold Coast buses, along with older teens using the city’s expanding public transport network to meet up in gangs.

The fare evade button on Surfside Buslines was hit 1.67 million times in the 2017-18 financial year — three times the number recorded three years ago.

Children who refuse to pay are quick to remind drivers about Daniel Morcombe, who was left stranded at an unofficial Sunshine Coast bus stop before being abducted and killed in December 2003.

Police patrolling Surfside buses.

A frustrated driver told the Bulletin: “I believe the numbers are higher than given as it is nothing to have up to 60 people a day on my bus alone. On the school buses at least 90 per cent do not pay and don’t have school passes.”

Most fare evaders were younger than 18 and could not be fined, just given warnings.

“This group now believe that it is their right to free travel and it is the law,” the driver said. “They all seem to quote Daniel Morcombe.

“It was started (accepting students without money or passes) to ensure that young persons were not left in unsafe areas. We are (now) considered their free taxi to wherever they want to go. I get people under the age of 10 fare evading.”

FARE EVADERS RIPPING OFF $3M PER YEAR FROM COAST

Southport is one of the hot spots for fare evasion.

The State Government figures released this month show fare evaders were ripping off almost $3 million a year as blitzes caught about 400 people each month.

Drivers estimate TransLink officers have appeared less than 10 times in a past year.

“Many of these young persons do damage to buses,” the driver said. “I have had them squirt tomato sauce over seats, kick doors, harass other passengers, threaten myself and have had buses put out of service due to their actions.

“We take young kids to trams where they then meet in gangs and cause trouble. If we refuse to take them we can be sacked.

“They tell parents they are staying at someone’s place and then go out partying and hanging out in gangs at locations like Southport, Broadbeach and Helensvale.”

Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey described the Government’s lack of action as “an absolute disgrace”.

Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey says the Government’s lack of policing on fare evasion has been an absolute disgrace. Picture David Clark.

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“They really haven’t done the education campaign, they haven’t increased the number of senior network officers,” said Ms Stuckey, who has campaigned for more policing of fare evaders in the past three years.

“If they (the students) are collecting the bus money from their parents, what are they spending it on? It’s a bad culture if we want to build pride in the city.”

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said it was not possible to identify the number of students who had pressed the fare evade button.

TransLink employed a frontline team of 56 senior network officers to perform revenue protection work, he said.

Since January 1, the officers had been deployed 2588 times on Surfside buses and issued 1036 warnings and 208 penalty infringement notices, Mr Bailey said.