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Routes go for GoNetwork

More than 100 south east Queensland bus routes will be cut as part of the State Government’s new GoNetwork

By Sean Muir | March 8, 2012

More than 100 bus routes will be cut in south east Queensland to make way for the State Government’s new ‘high-frequency’ GoNetwork.

The Queensland Government announced the network following a recent review of services that found patronage had declined
for 13 of 16 bus operators across south east Queensland.

The review recommends the government cut the south east Queensland network from 446 routes to 335 routes.

Regular Brisbane City bus user Alana Collins, 24, says just thinking about Brisbane’s network
makes her mad, with services often inconvenient and unreliable.

Collins catches a bus from Petrie Terrace, near Brisbane’s CBD, to inner city suburb Ashgrove each day after work.

“It is a bus that comes twice an hour and it is usually late, but it is also usually so packed that you can’t get a seat,” Collins says.

“In general there should be more frequent peak-hour buses.”

Meanwhile, early Wednesday night, during a 30-minute period,
Busnews counted four empty buses travelling along Given Terrace, a main inner city artery from Brisbane’s CBD.

Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson says the GoNetwork will increase the number of high-frequency routes in Brisbane from 19 to 26.

“We need to improve the network, particularly where there are more than half of all buses carrying less than seven passengers while in other areas up to 80 buses a day leave people behind because they are too full,” Emerson says in a statement.

Emerson says during consultation government received more than 6,000 pieces of feedback, with majority of passengers asking for more frequent services and better fares.

Other review recommendations include:

  • A more simplified route number system, reducing duplication
  • Providing outbound routes heading in a similar direction with a superstop within Brisbane’s CBD
  • Better integration between suburban buses and high-frequency bus or train services
  • Setting up the Gold Coast network to integrate with light rail
  • Fewer near-empty buses entering the CBD
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