Public transport tops pre-COVID levels as election train builds steam
By Matt Dennien
South-east Queensland commuters have pushed public transport use above pre-pandemic levels in what the Miles Labor government is hailing as a vote of confidence in its 50¢ flat fare trial.
Updated figures for the first four weeks of the trial come as the government ramps up campaigning before an October 26 election even it has conceded will be tough, with the LNP opposition leading in opinion polls.
Since the trial began on August 5, overall trips across the region’s public transport network have jumped 2.4 per cent higher than the comparative pre-COVID period, after years of lagging use, and are up 14.5 per cent on a comparative period last year.
Only passenger rail is yet to fully bounce back – still 2.7 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels.Credit: Robert Shakespeare
This equates to more than 15 million trips, which the government says represents travel savings of $29 million. Ferries have seen the largest boost, followed by Gold Coast trams, rail, then buses.
While the government says it has seen “strong patronage growth” on weekdays, weekends have been “very strong” at levels 30-40 per cent higher than the comparative pre-pandemic period – attributed to people deciding to “ditch the car” to explore the region.
“I said 50¢ fares would be use it or lose it – and Queenslanders are using it,” Premier Steven Miles said in a media release issued to mark the milestone.
“Each trip represents a massive saving to commuters and huge confidence in our broader transport system. I want to see this level of success continue as we power through the six-month trial.”
Compared to the same period last year, light rail trips were up 18.6 per cent, ferries 40 per cent, buses 12.1 per cent and rail 16 per cent.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish said in the release that pre-COVID levels had been exceeded on all but passenger rail, which the government confirmed was still down 2.7 per cent.
The LNP opposition has supported the measure while criticising it as a vote-buying exercise and previously raising concerns about capacity to meet the increased demand. The Greens have long called for public transport to be free.
This week, the Miles government also announced it would build another three future satellite hospitals (for a total of five, so far, should it retain government) on the Fraser Coast, in Rockhampton, and Yarrabilba.
The LNP has used the week to launch more detailed plans to address issues in the state’s residential care system, including a promise to boost child safety officer numbers by 20 per cent and build a new $50 million “secure care” facility by 2028.
The proposed approach has been praised by the state residential care sector’s peak body, PeakCare.
LNP leader David Crisafulli said the overlap of children under youth justice supervision and Child Safety contact in the five years prior made it “clear the broken system is acting as a youth crime pipeline”.