Here’s something to make public transport a more attractive option

This may just be the thing to entice motorists off the road and to use public transport.

Making public transport a more attractive option.

WITH two weeks leave, my mate Mick and I decided to head to the Gold Coast a couple of weeks ago to visit some mates.

Now, as anyone familiar with this column would realise, Mick and I have a tendency to get lost when driving to the coast, the last time ending up – somehow – over the border in New South Wales.

So, to avoid the risk of that happening again and being left in some sordid hotel doing 14 days quarantine, we decided to go via public transport.

What could go wrong, right?

We jumped on a Murrays bus from Toowoomba, changed to a train in Brisbane, and then a light rail tram for the last leg to Surfers Paradise where our mates live.

It was a smooth trip and, for once, everything more or less went to plan.

However, the trip does take a fair whack out of your day when you’re left in a planes, trains and automobiles sort of time warp.

Of course, the worst thing for Mick and I was that … well, we’re on holidays, and we’re sober!

And, that’s where I’d like to propose some changes for public transport in this state.

The train trip from Brisbane to Helensvale on the Gold Coast takes about one hour, six minutes. (We know, we counted everyone of them.)

While a smooth ride, the train trip to the coast has all the stimulation of watching The Heat play a BBL match – without Chris Lynn.

Sure there’s a bit of crash and bang, but you’re left feeling empty.

Surely, it would add to the rail experience if there was a bar and entertainment on board.

It’s only an hour journey so no-one is going to get drunk and in that time the screens could show two Seinfeld episodes … anything to pass the time.

And really, who wants to get drunk and loud and risk being evicted from the train at Logan?

Not a day goes by that the highway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast isn’t in the news for traffic jams, crashes and too much traffic.

Well, doesn’t it make sense to encourage people to use public transport and get some drivers off the road?

A couple of years ago I travelled from Townsville to Cairns on the Spirit of Queensland train and spent the four or so hour journey in the bar.

It was very pleasant, sitting back relaxing with a cold ale while taking in the North Queensland scenery via the huge windows.

Likewise the train from Kuranda to Cairns also has a bar with which to keep the patrons happy.

I do see a problem in these COVID times of people standing at the bar in a moving train.

Moving about balancing on one’s feet while trying not to spill one’s drink could be construed as dancing and we know that’s just not permitted.

But just imagine if you could master free standing on a moving train while keeping all ale inside the cup, before you know it that would be a new Olympic event.

Well, that’s got just as much athleticism as break dancing, and that’s now an Olympic sport.

No, I think it’s time our tourism gurus thought outside the box and inside the bar and implemented bars and entertainment on Queensland’s public transport services.

Now, Mick and I would drink to that!