New fines for bus passengers

TOOWOOMBA bus passengers who take up more than one seat on public transport could be hit with a $261 fine from this weekend.

The Queensland Government has moved to bring fines for public transport offences inline across the State, including on Toowoomba’s public transport network.

A Translink spokesman said the new regulations would ensure the existing offences for littering and using seats improperly on certain public transport infrastructure, such as trains in the southeast, could be enforced across all modes of public transport.

“This will help to ensure the comfort of our services for passengers across the public transport network,” the spokesman said.

“The new offence of occupying more than one seat is consistent with an existing offence in the Transport Infrastructure (Rail) Regulation 2017.

“The offence is about giving Transport and Main Roads the ability to discourage inappropriate behaviour, such as passengers placing their feet on a seat.”

The spokesman said the rules would not be enforced upon passengers who “had a reasonable excuse”.

“The maximum penalty for using seats improperly on public passenger vehicles will be 20 penalty units. A fine of $261, or two penalty units, can also be given by an authorised person,” he said.

“The maximum penalty for leaving litter on public transport infrastructure will be 10 penalty units. A fine of $130, or one penalty unit, can also be given.”