Beattie backs M1 transport plan

COMMONWEALTH Games organising corporation chairman Peter Beattie is backing plans to avoid M1 transport snarl-ups – which include a push not to use it.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey yesterday revealed a central plank of the government strategy for avoiding Games congestion on the M1 would be telling Games goers to stay on the Coast if possible and not use it: “If you do have to travel from Brisbane on the M1, don’t be in a rush, be part of the solution.”

Other initiatives include free public transport for ticketholders, beefing up incident response units, reducing speed limits and enabling athletes to use a shoulder lane if congestion impacts them.

Mr Beattie said transport was always going to a major challenge with a million-plus tickets sold, not just on the M1 but with the Coast’s long, thin geography. “Would we have liked M1 upgrades that are going to be done in 18 months to have been done? Of course, it’d be a lie if I said otherwise.

“But the (Games transport) measures we have for the M1 are not in place yet and I think will work quite well.

“We have encouraged people to live on the Coast, stay here, because we want people to enjoy the Gold Coast.”