As the 2024 Queensland state election approaches, a political fight has started between Brisbane City Council and the Queensland State government over the 50 cent public transport fare trial slated to commence on Monday 5 August.

In essence, the Brisbane Lord Mayor is advocating for increased funding to cover for the potential increase in passenger traffic during the trial and delays to the Brisbane Metro project as a consequence of the strain on the bus network, claiming that there has been under-investment over the past decade. The state government has responded stating that Brisbane City Council claims are part of electioneering for the 2024 state election.

The political fight illustrates the broader issue of lagging investment in public transport not just in Brisbane, but across the entire state of Queensland, including:

• The electric tilt trains that service regional Queensland to Rockhampton have been undergoing a 14 month deep maintainence with a scheduled restart of normal operations in September;
• Major disruptions are occuring across Brisbane’s CityTain network as part of the Cross River Rail Project (a project that has been proposed since 2012);
• The halting of the regional rollout of the Smart Ticketing Project as Translinks struggles to complete the project in South East Queensland (a project announced in 2018).

With the state election only four months away, public transport, like major issues, will become a quagmire between politicans with no resolution (if at all) until after polling day.

Media Articles

2024-06-23 Brisbane City Council warns 50 cent fares will be a ‘disaster’ without extra state funding. ABC News Online. Accessed 23 June 2024.