Two-seat journeys coming to Brisbane bus network this month

Timetables for Brisbane’s new bus network will be released on Monday. But the biggest difference will mean passengers have to play musical chairs for the first time. SEE THE CHANGES

Brisbane commuters will have to get up off their seats and change buses on some key routes under a radical new “hub and spoke’’ model as part of one of the biggest shake-ups ever made to council’s network.

At the moment all services use just one bus, but from June 30 passengers on some key routes will have to get used to switching to a high-capacity bus part-way along their route.

The connecting bus would be nearby, on the same platform.

“Brisbane’s new bus network will take some time to get used to, particularly on the southside,’’ transport chair Ryan Murphy told council’s weekly meeting.

“This is a massive change for Brisbane that will deliver huge benefits for public transport passengers.

“But if we can perfect this model there will be a new era in public transport.’’

Mr Murphy said it was critical for commuters to plan their journeys ahead of June 30.

However, council’s online advice to research the new timetables has led to complaints from commuters who said they were unable to change the date to June 30, or find the new or changed routes.

“Visit Translink’s journey planner and set a date from 30 June to find your new journey,’’ the advice reads.

Other commuters said they needed to search online using other key words such as “TMR journey planner timetables’’ in order to change the date or find the new timetables.

The RACQ backed the move to a “trunk and feeder’’ system.

“This reform is needed to modernise and simplify an overly complex bus network and deliver higher frequency services to commuters,’’ managing director David Carter said.

Councillor Ryan Murphy. Picture: Lachie Millard

Council estimated the changes, which included adding six new services and the start of the second Metro route, would boost the number of trips each year by a total of 160,000 trips.

The new timetables would be available online from June 2 at translink.com.au, on the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) Journey Planner.

Some routes would be re-numbered to make it less confusing and easier to catch buses, while passengers should expect different stops on many routes.

LIST OF BUS ROUTES THAT WILL CHANGE

Labor Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said the network review was based on feedback from 2022.

“Since then we’ve seen the introduction of 50c fares, different patronage and increased population,’’ he said.

“Twelve million passengers will be worse off under these changes.

“For many areas of Brisbane it means reduced services and transfers between buses.

“This review will cut suburban routes and leave residents in the dark if they aren’t in areas serviced by the Metro.’’

INTERACTIVE MAP SHOWING THE CHANGES

Labor councillor for Moorooka, Steve Griffiths, said the changes would benefit people in suburbs with easy access to Metro but would disadvantage those in many other areas, including in his ward.

“The Lord Mayor is promoting it as a major improvement but in areas like Moorooka ward the result is fewer services, longer wait times and more inconvenient transfers,’’ he claimed.

“Key services and existing bus stops will be reduced, or removed altogether.’’

However, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the changes as the biggest improvement to Brisbane’s bus network in generations.

“Two-thirds of public transport trips in Brisbane are taken on a bus,’’ he said.

“Brisbane Metro and our new bus network will help us make the leap from public transport to mass transit, delivering an additional 160,000 services every year.

“The first stage has already been a massive success, with one million trips taken on our first permanent Brisbane Metro services since January this year.’’

A bus crossing Victoria Bridge towards South Brisbane. The new bus network will boost trips and reduce congestion. Picture: Lachie Millard

The new Metro route comes after the launch in January of the M2 route from the University of Queensland to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

It would run 24 hours a day on weekends and every five minutes on weekdays. It replaces the 111 and 160 bus routes.

The challenging Adelaide St tunnel works, the shallowest such tunnel ever attempted in Australia, was due for completion late this year.

It would free up the clogged Victoria St bridge, allow frequencies to increase to every three minutes and help ease the “bunching’’ of buses on the M2.

But the King George Square, Queen St and Roma St bus stations would have to close on six consecutive “super weekends’’ of tunnel works from June 21 to July 25.

Council and the former Labor state government last year announced that they were pursuing a business case to expand Metro to 22 new stations as far as Carseldine, Capalaba, Springwood and the airport, through Airportlink, Doomben and DFO, using $450m redirected from the scrapped Woolloongabba station.

The changes coming in on June 30 also included four new all-day services on streets that currently had only peak-period buses, increasing frequency and connection to key Metro corridors.

Twelve combined bus routes that eliminated duplicated services would begin on June 30, as well as three “divided’’ routes that would now finish in the CBD to reduce delays.

Other changes included:

• Route 28 (Langlands Park to UQ) shuttle removed.

• Changes (including new numbers) to routes: 29, 40, 50, 60, 61, 104, 105, 107, 108, 110, 112 to 126, 129, 131, 132, 134 to 139, 141, 142, 150, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, 161, 162, 169, 170 to 178, 180, 181, 183 to 186, 189, 192, 195, 196, 199, 200 to 217, 220 to 222, 225, 227, 228, 230 to 232, 234 to 236, 300 to 302, 305, 306, 310, 320, 322, 325, 330 to 335, 340 to 346, 350 to 353, 357, 359 to 361, 364, 370, 375 to 385, 390, 393, 411, 415, 417, 433, 444, 445, 450, 453, 454, 460, 470, 590, 598, 599

Originally published as Two-seat journeys coming to Brisbane bus network this month