YOUR VIEWS

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JOHN Witheriff (GCB, 1/7) attempts to justify GC light rail’s woeful performance by confusing the figures with bus totals. But let’s look at light rail figures alone and put them in perspective.

The original feasibility study forecast it would carry 50,000 passengers a day, moving up to 74,000 by 2030.

It was judged buses would not be capable of carrying such huge loads, so the light rail’s higher cost was justified. The LNP government took over just after the contract had been signed, and they downgraded the forecast to a “conservative” 25,000 a day at the outset.

Yet in its first year, it did not even match the 17,000 a day the

buses had carried on the same route. When TransLink releases the figures for its third year, which ends on July 20, they are likely to show it has just scraped over the 22,000 a day.

The light rail is carrying 13 per cent of its capacity. Airlines would go broke if they achieved less than 80 per cent.

Of course 76 per cent of passengers are locals because it has been given a monopoly on the city’s most used route. It is mainly used by Griffith University students and visitors to the GC University Hospital, which did not exist in the days of the buses.

It is not bringing extra passengers or tourists into Surfers Paradise as can be seen by the many still empty shops that were put out of business when its construction started. And it has turned central Southport into a ghost town.

Far from “exceeding expectations” it has proved to be a waste of $3 billion of taxpayers’ money. And if you haven’t seen that figure before it is because you haven’t added in the interest being paid to French banks on its cost.

ALAN MIDWOOD

AS A newcomer to AFL, I fail to understand the lack of kicking skills by all grades.

In Rounds 14 and 15 the AFL teams kicked in total 229 and 217 goals, and 214 and 211 “behinds” no stats for number of kicks that missed both targets).

With goalposts 6.4m wide and a further 6.4m for behinds – a total of 12.8m with no height barrier the kicking accuracy is abysmal.

Is it the ball that is difficult to control or a lack of kicking skills by these highly paid players?

Compared to rugby union and league players, using a similar ball, their accuracy skills are way superior – particularly as their target is posts 5.4m wide with the added barrier of a crossbar.

Maybe AFL players should resort to using a round ball as used by the country that introduced the game to Australia.

JOHN P. WILLIAMS

CHANNELS Seven and Nine are conning the public.

Katie Perry “live” on The Voice 90 minutes before boarding a flight to America and then being “live” on Seven 24 hours after arriving home in the US.

She even met a fan on Monday “live” on TV but saying “let’s make your Saturday”.

Just what is these stations’ definition of the word “live”?

FRANK TEWKESBURY