There is only one week left until Queensland locals can take advantage of historic 50 cent public transport fares, urging more people to ditch their cars and jump aboard.
Starting from Monday August 5, a flat 50 cent fare will be in place for all Translink public transport services statewide for a period of six months.
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The Queensland government have assured the public that all services will be able to run as normal amidst concerns of overcrowding and congestion.
The Rail Management Centre, the Translink Operations Centre (TOC), and the Brisbane Metropolitan Transport Management Centre (BMTMC) will all keep a close eye on the public transport network during the trial, with Queensland Rail setting up a special ‘engine room’ team based out of the Rail Management Centre to ensure the successful rollout.
Additional buses and two trams will also be available to respond to increased demand from Monday.
“With just one week to go, Queenslanders are ready to jump onboard for just 50 cents,” premier Steven Miles says.
“Here at the Rail Management Centre, the teams are busy preparing operations ahead of Monday to ensure we are ready to respond to increased demand.
“I really hope my government’s landmark 50 cent fares trial gets people back on public transport, saves those who are already catching the bus or the train a bit of money, saves those who are driving a lot of money, and hopefully takes some cars off the road as well.”
Public transport patronage continues to track below pre-COVID levels and sits at about 87 per cent across the SEQ network.
Significantly reducing the cost barrier to public transport will encourage more people to leave the car at home, leading to a reduction in road congestion as a single bus takes 50 cars off the road and a train takes 600 cars off the road.
Public transport users can also visit Translink’s upgraded Service Capacity Tracker to view a forecast of the space available on each service based on the day and time they are travelling.
The Service Capacity Tracker was first launched in 2020 to help customers view predicted space on board services at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Translink has revamped the tool ahead of the start of 50 cent fares with the tracker based on historical patronage data and forecast changes in travel behaviour to give customers a more accurate insight into capacity availability, displayed in a traffic light system to make it easier for customers.
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