Brisbane council warns of bus-system breakdown during 50-cent fare trial

The Queensland government says it will negotiate further funding with Brisbane council after warnings the city’s bus system may not be able to cope with the new 50-cent fare trial, and that the Brisbane Metro may be delayed.

Brisbane City Council on Sunday said commuters could face longer waits, fewer services, and worsening congestion if the state government does not invest in better buses.

Brisbane City Council is concerned the bus network will not be able to cope with increased demand amid the 50-cent fare trial. Credit: Tammy Law

It said there were 82,000 fewer bus services than a decade ago due to a lack of state funding.

But Premier Steven Miles responded by saying the government would ensure there was a fair funding arrangement so Brisbane would have the bus services it needed.

His comments came after a recruitment campaign was launched last year to address a shortage of bus drivers.

One driver, who did not wish to be named, said he and his colleagues were already “under the pump” – especially during busy periods.

He said the recruitment drive had failed to plug the shortfall of drivers as many new recruits found the job too stressful, resulting in a high attrition rate.

There were also fears among drivers that the 50-cent fares may exacerbate the problem.

The Queensland government currently fully funds bus services in Logan, Ipswich, Redlands, Gold Coast and Moreton Bay but just over 70 per cent of Brisbane’s services, the council says.

In a new campaign, “Back our Buses”, announced on the weekend, Brisbane council said it was the only one in the state that helped subsidise public transport, with the outlay equating to more than 17 per cent of the city’s $4 billion budget.

The LNP council – Australia’s largest local government – says its investment in public transport services has more than doubled over the past decade. But it warned that without more state funding, bus services could be further reduced, and there may be delays to the $1.4 billion Brisbane Metro.

Treasurer Cameron Dick, Premier Steven Miles and Transport Minister Bart Mellish announce the six-month 50-cent public transport fares, beginning in August.Credit: Steven Miles / LinkedIn

To ease cost-of-living pressures, the Miles government last month announced all public transport trips in Queensland would become as “close to free as you can get” – 50 cents. It was estimated this would save commuters $150 million in 2024-25.

The state government at the time of releasing its budget said public transport use remained about 13 per cent below pre-COVID levels, but lowering fares would encourage more people to leave their car at home, easing road congestion.

But the council warned there was a risk the city’s bus network would not have the capacity to meet the increased demand anticipated during the 50-cent fare trial from August 5.

Brisbane Transport chair Ryan Murphy said the state pocketed every cent commuters paid for their bus trips, but had failed to keep pace with the cost of delivering these services.

“The state government is bludging off Brisbane residents, and it’s earned us the shameful title of the only capital city in the country where public transport has gone backwards,” he said.

“For years, council has propped up funding for Brisbane buses, plus we’re delivering Brisbane Metro to add more frequent services and more capacity.

“Without additional state funding to boost buses even further, there is a real risk 50-cent fares will bring the whole house of cards tumbling down.”

Miles said he wanted public transport to continue to be well utilised, affordable, and central to reducing congestion.

“The Metro is the Brisbane City Council’s flagship bus program and if they haven’t budgeted sufficiently for it to operate, we will work with them to make sure it can launch successfully,” he said.

“I actually have been a big supporter of the Metro ... it was my intervention that saw us bring in the Metro interchange at the Gabba, which brings Cross River Rail and the Metro together. That comes at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.”