Brisbane's Budget reveals changes to Brisbane's bus services and $500 million funding for public transport
June 12, 2013
Changes to Brisbane’s bus services and $500 million funding for public transport have been
revealed in Brisbane City Council’s $3.11 billion Budget.
Council plans to spend $42 million for the first 90 of 360 promised new buses, and $7.7 million to deliver an accessible public transport network in Brisbane suburbs.
Council has also revealed changes to Brisbane’s public transport services due to a projected loss on public transport operations of more than $16 million this year.
Council intends to review its Brisbane Transport bus division to save $3.2 million, and will also review council’s bus depot portfolio and bus and CityCat timetables.
The reviews are not expected to cause job losses or reduce buses in the city, but council
does plan to
reduce the number of new drivers hired each year.
Council also plans to amalgamate bus depots at Richlands and Bowen Hills with the Willawong depot and the planned TradeCoast depot at Eagle Farm.
Council will continue work with TransLink to plan an integrated network, promote public transport initiatives such as the high frequency BUZ and CityGlider routes and facilitate the development of key public transport infrastructure such as busways.
Brisbane City Council Mayor Graham Quirk says the more residents on buses the better traffic will flow.
“This year Brisbane City Council will increase its subsidy of public transport to more than $165 million,” Quirk says.
He says during the next 12 months, this subsidy will support the number of buses, CityCats and ferries now operating across our public transport network.
“We will also allocate money to kick off the free inner-city ferry loop – the City Hopper – as well as the new Stones Corner to Paddington ‘Maroon’ CityGlider bus service,” Quirk says.
Quirk says in the next four years council will put a total of 360 new buses on the road and retire the outdated and uncomfortable Metroliners.
However, to cut costs, council plans to reduce the amount of buses bought annually from 90 to 60 from 2015 onwards.
“We will also continue our feasibility study into the Suburbs2City bus link as we look to secure the long-term capacity of our bus network,” Quirk says.