NICHOLAS MCDONALD
Ashgrove and The Gap residents are less than impressed with changes resulting from the Brisbane City Council’s bus review.
Bus routes 379, 380, 381 and 385 have all been affected as the Council wanted to make the bus system more efficient.
The changes increase the number of buses during peak time and reduce the service to one bus every hour during off-peak times.
Despite the understandable need to increase services when they are needed most and reduce them when possible, residents have said the outcome is less than beneficial.
Local student Ryan Quilligan said the services are poorly thought out and don’t benefit regular passengers.
“In the morning the buses are alright but by the afternoon and nighttime they are a total shambles,” he said.
“You have buses coming at random intervals, some even arriving two at a time, and maybe we just have to adjust but the way it is now is laughable.”
Passenger group RAIL Back on Track believe the changes don’t go far enough and that low frequency routes, such as those found in the Western suburbs, should be maintained at their present level.
Spokeman for RAIL Back on Track Robert Dow said residents got a raw deal with this latest review.
“The Brisbane City Council’s bus review stage two was implemented yesterday but does not go far enough with proposed network changes,” he said.
“If Brisbane City Council was legitimate about its claims to look after the ratepayers of Brisbane, it would move away from the mantra of a direct service network model.
“Instead [it would] move towards a legible, frequent, connective network like that which is outlined in this suggested network.”