State foots the bill for Brisbane bus boom
Published Wednesday, 14 November, 2007 at 03:29 PM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
The Queensland Government is paying almost twice as much as the Brisbane City Council in subsidies for increasingly popular Brisbane bus travel, Transport Minister John Mickel told State Parliament today.
The state government, not the Brisbane City Council was also footing the bill for all new services, he said.
“In 2007/08 our government will spend $144 million to deliver Brisbane Transport services and 105 new buses under the Brisbane Transport contract, with a further $8.5 million for new services in the BCC area,” Mr Mickel said in Question Time.
“In contrast the Brisbane City Council effort has only increased from $40 million in 2004-05 to $43 million in 2006-’07, despite the huge patronage increase .”
The Minister said the Lord Mayor is misleading the public and the media about the BCC’s transport contribution.
Mr Mickel said bus patronage had gone up 35 per cent in the Brisbane City area since the south east Queensland transport entity TransLink was established in 2004-‘05.
“The Queensland Government is footing the lions share of the bill for the popularity of bus travel in Brisbane.
“We have funded all new services since 2004-05. Our bill for those new services has gone from $4 million the first year to around $36 million this year.
“I’m happy to see Brisbane travellers voting with their feet and getting out of their cars and onto the buses.
This will help ease the traffic congestion,” he said
Media contact: Chris Brown (07) 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 14, 2007
The state government, not the Brisbane City Council was also footing the bill for all new services, he said.
“In 2007/08 our government will spend $144 million to deliver Brisbane Transport services and 105 new buses under the Brisbane Transport contract, with a further $8.5 million for new services in the BCC area,” Mr Mickel said in Question Time.
“In contrast the Brisbane City Council effort has only increased from $40 million in 2004-05 to $43 million in 2006-’07, despite the huge patronage increase .”
The Minister said the Lord Mayor is misleading the public and the media about the BCC’s transport contribution.
Mr Mickel said bus patronage had gone up 35 per cent in the Brisbane City area since the south east Queensland transport entity TransLink was established in 2004-‘05.
“The Queensland Government is footing the lions share of the bill for the popularity of bus travel in Brisbane.
“We have funded all new services since 2004-05. Our bill for those new services has gone from $4 million the first year to around $36 million this year.
“I’m happy to see Brisbane travellers voting with their feet and getting out of their cars and onto the buses.
This will help ease the traffic congestion,” he said
Media contact: Chris Brown (07) 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 14, 2007