More bus passengers used Brisbane City Council buses last month than any other August on record, Public and Active Transport Chairman Jane Prentice said today.
Brisbane’s bus patronage broke the 6 million mark last month – over half a million people more than August 2008.
The 6,380,540 passengers who caught a Brisbane Transport bus last month surpassed the figure of 5,803,399 recorded in August 2008, an increase of 577,141 (9.94 per cent).
It was the fifth time monthly patronage on Council buses had surpassed 6 million this year.
Cr Prentice said Brisbane commuters were increasingly turning to Brisbane City Council’s bus fleet as their primary mode of transport.
“Buses never used to be that attractive for commuters, but since Campbell Newman was elected Lord Mayor in 2004, they have become a very attractive option for commuters,” she said.
“The Lord Mayor has made a record investment that has meant more comfortable and reliable buses for commuters, making them the preferred mode of public transport in Brisbane.”
Of the 201,886 journeys in August, a total of 2384 (1.18 per cent) services reported full at one point during their route.
Over three quarters (1813, or 76 per cent) of the full loads occurred on routes with a waiting time of less than 20 minutes for the next bus.
“In the 2007/08 financial year, Brisbane City Council buses carried 67.6 million and that rose to an unprecedented 72.5 million in 2008/09,” Cr Prentice said.
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman put a record 337 new buses on the road during his first term, which will increase to an additional 500 in his second term.
The Lord Mayor earlier this year launched Brisbane’s 1000th bus at the official opening of Brisbane City Council’s new $56 million Willawong bus depot and turned the sod at a new bus building facility at Eagle Farm. Land has also been purchased at Sherwood for a vital new bus depot to service increasing demand on the public transport network on the south-side.
Cr Prentice said she and the Lord Mayor were determined to meet the increasing demand for bus services, brought on better services and newer, more comfortable buses.
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