“When we gear up the second route towards the end of the year, that will mean stage one of Brisbane Metro will be fully operational,” Schrinner said.
“This is a really exciting milestone and to be able to do it sooner than we anticipated is really exciting, and this state government arrangement has allowed us to do that.”
How the bus funding deal works
- There is no share of ticket revenue, as predicted. It is an increased proportion of overall revenue – up to 75 per cent from today’s 66 per cent – from the state government.
- Historically the state government provided 80 per cent of funds for the Brisbane bus network.
- “An overall revenue figure is the way it will operate,” Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
- “The fare revenue goes to the state. They use that [for] their contribution back into the network and they also supplement the fares with an extra contribution as well.
- “That means when the council puts up extra money, the state will put up extra money.”
- Brisbane City Council receives a one-off $75 million to cover demand from new 50 cent fares.
Premier Steven Miles acknowledged the Queensland government had a historic funding problem in sharing the funding of Brisbane City Council’s buses.
“For too long, there’s been a disconnect, a lack of collaboration between the buses run by Brisbane City Council and the rest of the Translink network delivered by the Queensland government,” Miles said.
“That needs to change. A revolution is coming to transport here in the south-east.”
Miles and Schrinner are all smiles after announcing the state government will boost its share of bus funding.Credit: Tony Moore
He said adding extra funds to the bus network added to the flexibility of Brisbane’s public transport system as the 2032 Games got closer.
“It allows our network to be reformed for us to fit buses to rail, for us to reduce duplication and for us to work hand in glove to build a public transport system that will be ready to welcome the world here in 2032.”
Brisbane City Council public transport committee chair Ryan Murphy said Brisbane was not like Sydney and Melbourne where trains provided the bulk of the public transport journeys.
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“We are not like Sydney and Melbourne where most people catch a train,” Murphy said.
“Here, two-thirds of all public transport commuters catch a bus.
“Our buses are so important to our transport network.”