COMING SHORTLY - CAST Statement on the 3 Billion Tunnel

We have opposed the concept and construction of the 3B
Tunnel from the time it was first proposed by Jim Soorley.

We're preparing a detailed statement to explain why we
continue to vigorously oppose the Tunnel, and why we urge
all motorists to boycott the Tunnel.

Keep checking this site for our full statement.

INFORMATION ALERT CIty Bus Stops relocated from Monday 8 March

Bus stops 56 and 57 on Queen Street near Post Office
Square will be temporarily closed from Monday 8
March to Wednesday 30 June due to streetscape
construction works.
Stop 58 will be moved by up to 20m in the direction
of travel and services from this stop will also be affected.

For full details of bus services affected and a map of
the location of the new stops, go to

http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?id=463

OUR SUBMISSIONS TO TRANSLINK AND OTHERS

We are continuing to make submissions on behalf of public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians to Translink, service providers and Government.

These are shown on the page below described as 'Submissions to Translink' together with current status and replies if any.

If you are aware of a transport service or systemic fault that needs to be rectified or improved, contact us and we'll follow up the issue with the relevant authority on your behalf.

Submissions to Translink


This is #1/2010 in a series of complaints about Translink services 
and infrastructure from CAST in 2010.
Your reply [or failure to reply] will be circulated to all of our members.
On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February all outbound QR services on the 
Caboolture line operated 12 minutes later than the timetable.
This meant that passengers wanting to travel to all stations out to Northgate
had no trains for up to 25 minutes, and then 2 trains within 5 minutes.
This caused great inconvenience for some of our members.
There was no indication of this change on the TL website
or on the QR Citytrain website.
There were no signs or notices of this change at any QR stations that we visited.
There were no PA announcements that we heard.
Most QR staff were also unaware of this change.
This failure to notify passengers in advance is not
acceptable service quality especially given the massive
fare increase effective 4 January.
We expect an assurance from TL and QR that this failure
will not occur again.

Issued on 22.02.10      STATUS Translink forwarded to QR 23.02.10

02.03.10 We're still waiting for a response from QR
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This is #2/2010 in a series of submissions to Translink relating to service
failures, deficiencies and infrastructure in 2010.
We will advise our members of your reply or failure to reply.

We are aware of the range of changes and additional services to various
bus routes announced by Translink and effective 22 February. 
We support some but not all of these changes.

In particular we are dismayed that route 333 has not been amended to
provide additional services inbound from Chermside after 11.00 pm on
weekdays and weekends.
This failure to provide late night services has continued now for many years,
and it must be rectified by Translink without further delay.

Travellers who wish to attend the Services Club or the cinema at present
must leave the venue by 10.45 pm to board the last bus back to the inner
city or beyond. This means that they must leave before the entertainment
event is concluded or take a taxi home or drive to the venue. 
None of these options are acceptable to us.

We call on Translink to immediately introduce new services on 333 leaving
Chermside at 11.30 pm and midnight on weekdays, and half hourly to
12.30am on Saturdays.

Issued on 23 February 2010

REPLY FROM TRANSLINK 25.02.10


On behalf of TransLink, I wish to thank you for providing us with your feedback and advise you that your comments have been formally registered and forwarded to our Network Planning Group for their consideration.
 
TransLink has developed the TransLink Network Plan (TNP) to improve public transport across South East Queensland (SEQ). The outcome of the plan is to have a four year rolling program of improvements and the current updated version is available from the TransLink website at http://www.translink.com.au/networkplan.php
 
TransLink Network Planning Group will consider your comments regarding the route number that you provided in the next review of the TNP.
 
Customer feedback is very important to TransLink and although a further response may not be possible, you can be assured that your concerns have been sent to the appropriate area within TransLink for consideration.

CAST VERDICT Response is unacceptable - stock standard non-specific response with no clear outcome
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This is #3/2010 in our series of submissions by CAST to urge Translink and
service providers to improve transport services and infrastructure.

Your reply or failure to reply will be circulated to our members.

We note that there are two new inbound peak hour services on route 333
from Kedron from Monday 22 February.
We support the introduction of these new services.

However, in the peak hour it is important to bus users that travel times are
as short as possible, and that buses run to advertised times so that workers
are not late arriving at their workplaces.

We submit that these two services must be express from RBWH to Roma 
Street to assist with on-time arrival in the city.

Issued on 24 February 2010

REPLY FROM TRANSLINK 25.02.10

On behalf of TransLink, I wish to thank you for providing us with your feedback and advise you that your comments have been formally registered and forwarded to our Network Planning Group for their consideration.
 
TransLink has developed the TransLink Network Plan (TNP) to improve public transport across South East Queensland (SEQ). The outcome of the plan is to have a four year rolling program of improvements and the current updated version is available from the TransLink website at http://www.translink.com.au/networkplan.php
 
TransLink Network Planning Group will consider your comments regarding the route number that you provided in the next review of the TNP.

CAST VERDICT Response is unacceptable - stock standard non-specific response with no clear outcome
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This is #4/2010 in our series of submissions by CAST to
urge Translink and service providers to improve transport services and infrastructure.

Your reply or failure to reply will be circulated to our members.

We continue to receive frequent reports from our members and other bus users that the electronic bus timetable signs at most bus stations and along Lutwyche Road are failing to operate effectively or at all.

These reports state that buses that are shown on the boards do not arrive, while buses that do not appear on the boards, do arrive at the stops.

In the past we have been advised by Translink that the electronic display shows only the historical average of the bus passing time and is not real time information.

We assert that real time information must be given to bus users as a basic right, as users plan for their bus trips according to the published timetables and rely on their bus arriving at the time shown on the display board.

If the display boards are designed to perform as technically sophisticated public transport devices, this is simply not occurring at present, and commuters are being misled by the information on the boards.

We call on Translink to introduce real time bus information displays at all major stops as matter of urgency.

Issued on 25 February 2010

REPLY FROM TRANSLINK 26.02.10

On behalf of TransLink, I wish to thank you for providing us with your feedback and advise you that your comments have been formally registered and forwarded to the Infrastructure team.
 
Customer feedback is very important to TransLink and although a further response may not be possible, you can be assured that your concerns have been sent to the appropriate area within TransLink for their attention.

CAST VERDICT  This response is unacceptable - stock standard non-specific response with no clear outcome but NOTE the additional response below.

FURTHER REPLY FROM TRANSLINK 01.03.10

TransLink is currently investigating a range of technologies capable of providing real-time                        passenger information via the Real – Time Passenger Information System (RTPIS) Project.                         The project team can be contacted directly via their email address, rtpis@translink.com.au
In relation to the electronic boards, your comments have been forwarded to the Brisbane                           City Council for their attention. 

CAST ACTION We will contact this team and ascertain what is happening. Note that
the first response sends our submission to the Infrastructure team, then the second
refers to a discrete RTPIS team.

______________________________________________________________

This is #5/2010 in our series of submissions by CAST to
urge Translink and service providers to improve transport services and infrastructure.

Your reply or failure to reply will be circulated to our members.

The Ipswich train departing Central at 1205 today Friday
26 February arrived at Roma Street, at which time the
train PA advised passengers that the train was "now running express to Corinda. 
All passengers travelling to stations before Corinda please leave the train now."
There was no on-board explanation, or apology offered.
Passengers who departed the train then milled around the QR station attendant on 
platform 8 who advised them, after making enquiries, that "there has been a signal 
fault somewhere between here and Corinda."
He could not say how long this fault would delay passengers, there was no advice 
offered to passengers as to alternative travel arrangements, and again there was no 
apology from QR.
After 13 minutes delay without any further information being provided, the frustrated 
passengers were advised that an all-stops Corinda train would arrive shortly. 
After another two minutes, this train did arrive and passengers were able to 
recommence their journey,  but a QR apology did not eventuate.

This example of ongoing confusion and failure to inform passengers of the facts, 
and to offer an apology, is a regular and very disturbing occurrence on QR services,
during both peak hours and out-of-peak times.

When is Translink going to insist that QR fulfil its duty to fully inform passengers 
of the facts, and apologise to them, when these frequent delays occur?

When will QR decide to treat its passengers with courtesy and consideration, 
especially now that its services are 20 to 40% more expensive than they were last year?

Issued on 26 February 2010

REPLY FROM TRANSLINK 01.03.10

We have noted your comments and requested advice from the responsible delivery partner. 
Please be assured that we will be in contact with you as soon as we receive information 
addressing the issues you have raised.
___________________________________________________________________


This is #6/2010 in a series of submissions by CAST to urge Translink 
and service providers to improve transport services, policies and infrastructure.

Your reply or failure to reply will be circulated to our members.

On 4 March 2010, the inbound Ipswich train scheduled to arrive at Albion 
station at 2.24pm, arrived at the station at 2.30pm, and departed for Bowen 
Hills station.

On arrival at Bowen Hills, it became apparent that a passenger was seriously ill. 
The passenger collapsed on to the station platform, but no QR staff attempted 
to give medical attention to the passenger, and although the passenger was not 
impeding the movement of the train, the train remained at the station for several 
minutes while QR staff waited for an ambulance to arrive.

The train departed for Central about 12 minutes late, before the passenger had 
been moved or attended to by paramedics.
While there was an announcement made to passengers after several minutes had 
elapsed, this incident once again revealed the deficiency in QR's
operational systems that occur when a passenger becomes ill while on a train. 
We hear that similar incidents are occurring more frequently, and a similar event 
occurred on the Ferny Grove line earlier this week, resulting in significant delays 
to the affected services.

We call on Translink to take appropriate action to ensure that QR promptly formulate 
policy to provide an effective and rapid response on the occasions when a train 
passenger needs immediate medical attention.
The nature of the response clearly needs to depend upon whether the station where 
the passenger can be removed from the train, is staffed at the time.
Where the station is staffed at the time, as occurred above, any delay to the train 
after the passenger has been safely moved to the platform, and station staff are 
attending to the passenger, is not justified.

Issued on 4 March 2010

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