Public transport in Queensland is too slow, too unreliable and too expensive. This costs us money, increases stress, and forces more people to drive, making traffic worse and parking harder.
In the midst of a historic recession, essential services that get our economy going and help people participate in their communities should be free.
The Greens will:
- Introduce free public transport in Queensland, saving $800 million over four years by scrapping the expensive, privatised ticketing system, reducing spending on road-widening and cutting costs associated with fare evasion like court costs
- Reform Brisbane’s bus network to ensure a high frequency bus on every major road corridor
- Expand bus networks in regional cities and towns including Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Toowoomba, aiming for a bus every 10 minutes on major road corridors
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Expand Fast Rail in Queensland with:
- Fast Rail to the Gold Coast
- Fast Rail to the Sunshine Coast
- Re-established fast passenger rail to Toowoomba
- Establish a $4 billion public transport expansion fund to improve and expand public transport across Queensland, covering reforms of the bus network and high speed rail
- Transition Queensland’s bus fleet to electric and mandate that all new buses be manufactured in Queensland
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Prioritise active transport infrastructure, by:
- Bringing forward funding for walking and cycling green bridges in Brisbane at Toowong-West End and St Lucia-West End
- Building a safe network of separated bike lanes around Queensland
- Appoint a minister for Public Transport, giving focus and oversight to providing safe, effective and reliable public transport for Queenslanders through a new Public Transport Authority for Queensland (PTAQ)
- Re-establish Translink as an independent transport agency which answers directly to the Minister for Public Transport
Free Public Transport
It’s time for free public transport. The Greens would scrap all public transport fares in Queensland, introducing free public transport on all buses, trains and ferries. Free, frequent and reliable public transport would take pressure off families, cut congestion and transform how Queenslanders move around.
Free public transport would provide a massive economic stimulus at a time when Queensland’s economy desperately needs it by putting more money in people’s pockets, increasing travel around the city and making our neighbourhoods and communities accessible, thriving places to live.
Green Bridges
While the Brisbane City Council in 2019 committed to fund the walking and cycling “green bridges” proposed by the Greens, only the Kangaroo Point-CBD and Breakfast Creek green bridges have a timeline for completion by 2023, while the Toowong-West End and St Lucia-West End bridges are not promised for another decade. The Greens would provide State Government funding to fast-track those two walking and cycling bridges for completion by 2023.