GEORGIA COSTI
Commonwealth Games organisers have hit back at claims that the Gold Coast has become a “ghost town” during the Games.
The Commonwealth Games have successfully turned the Gold Coast in to a ghost town. This is Smith Street at 9am on a Monday morning.#ghostcoast https://t.co/ZqKJsxOLgR
— Peter Rodrick (@peter_rodrick) April 8, 2018
GOLDOC chief executive officer Mark Peters said there were impacts on some Gold Coast businesses, but that locals and tourists were embracing public transport more than ever before.
He estimated about 1.8 million people have used public transport since the Games started and organisers are citing this as the “greatest legacy to get people out of their cars”.
“The challenges for the Gold Coast in terms of transport have always been there but they’ve actually worked really well in the Games”, he said.
“Hopefully those attitudinal changes will happen to the people of the Gold Coast.”
Peters admitted some businesses may have experienced slower trade because of the perceptions created.
“There may be some traders being in certain areas that tourists aren’t going to because they are at events or festivals,” he said.
He said that with extra buses, 24 hour trams and the use of heavy rail he was optimistic that the surge in popularity for public transport would continue beyond the Games.