Public transport hits rough road, with users down and projects ‘in slow motion’

Days after taking on the portfolio, Queensland’s new transport minister has been told by one of Brisbane’s leading public transport advocates to shift up a gear.

Improvements to south-east Queensland’s bus and train services “seem to be in slow motion”, while planning for future population growth appears to be dependent on the use of private cars, says Robert Dow of public transport advocacy group Rail Back on Track.

Robert Dow said Brisbane’s future public transport usage – predicted to be 9 per cent by 2050 – “was alarming”.Credit: Alamy

His assessment came as the state government’s major strategic plan for the region, ShapingSEQ 2023 – showing where 900,000 homes would be built to house an extra 2.2 million people by 2041 – was given a cool reception by City Hall.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, chair of the Council of Mayors for South-East Queensland, said the plan did not outline how transport should be brought forward to cope with the projected population growth.

“It is a 20-year plan for 2.2 million new people and 900,000 new homes with a supporting infrastructure plan that only has four years of committed funding,” Schrinner said.

“In many parts of SEQ we’ve already seen transport infrastructure fall behind growth, and the latest ShapingSEQ update does not provide any additional certainty for new, emerging or existing communities.”

Public spats between the previous transport minister, Mark Bailey, and the Schrinner administration were frequent.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish was announced in the portfolio on Monday – the same day Schrinner criticised ShapingSEQ 2023.

The plan maps out 5000 hectares of land for residential growth on the outer edges of Greater Brisbane and beyond – at Rochedale, Stapylton, Thagoona, Elimbah, Burpengary East, Narangba, Southern Thornlands, Gleneagle, Yandina, and Westbrook and Wellcamp near Toowoomba.

It says linking population growth to transport connections is important.

Roy Morgan Research in July showed the proportion of people working from home had doubled after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This factor means that the frequency of use of public transport has plunged compared to pre-pandemic,” the research report said.

“The average bus traveller in 2023 is using the bus over 20 per cent less frequently than pre-pandemic, and the average train traveller is taking over 25 per cent fewer journeys by train.”

Dow said Brisbane’s future public transport usage – predicted to be 9 per cent by 2050 – “was alarming”.

“We have got to snap out of it. The new transport minister’s regime needs to turn it around and focus on service improvements.

“Nothing seems to be happening,” he said, referring to delays in the city’s main rail and busway projects, which are two years from completion.

“Everything seems to be in slow motion.”

Brisbane’s $6.3 billion underground Cross River Rail project would increase public transport use, a spokeswoman for Mellish said.

Its 2017 business case estimated “23,000 trips each day will shift to public transport by 2036”.

In July, the Gold Coast light rail project recorded its 73-millionth trip since it opened in 2014, while a new mass transit bus service was recently chosen for the Sunshine Coast, the spokeswoman said.

Brisbane City Council has spent 12 months researching steps to improve Brisbane services, and this month the Greens announced its public transport policy if it wins control of the council.

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