Simple idea to ease M1 pressure that Brisbane won’t even try

SOMETIMES the key to getting the right answer is asking the right question. The seemingly impossible puzzle of ending the nightmare of M1 congestion has kept armies of consultants in jobs, produced enough hot air from our politicians to power a zeppelin and become a near permanent drain on government budgets.

And the result? Commuters trapped in a sea of traffic each morning.

The Gold Coast Bulletin tried something a little more radical. We didn’t just ask experts and politicians how they would fix our transport problems. We asked the people who actually live here what they thought.

Our Golden Age survey was wide-ranging and free from all bias; unlike what so often passes for “public consultation”, we weren’t seeking acclamation for a predetermined outcome.

And we ended up uncovering something fascinating.

A simple measure that could decrease M1 traffic without a single shovel having to hit the ground, or more hundreds of millions being spent.

A whopping 77 per cent of respondents said they would leave their cars at home and take the train to Brisbane if the return journey could be done for $10 – about half the current cost.

This is highly significant because it offers immediate hope.

Unlike the coming upgrades to the M1 or the building of its mooted twin, the rail line already exists.

In fact, its capacity has recently been increased thanks to the $163 million duplication of tracks between Coomera and Helensvale, which was completed in February.

Having made the investment, it makes sense to use the line to its fullest. An airline would never invest in new planes to see them take off half empty. It would adjust its pricing to ensure its planes were full. Similar principles should apply to rail.

And because the State Government owns Queensland Rail, change could be brought in almost overnight.

Given the pressure on the M1, and the fact that upgrades will take a number of years to build, will the State Government consider the potential of shifting traffic from road to rail via cheaper fares?

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey told this column the Palaszczuk Government had already reduced prices.

“The Palaszczuk Government has made public transport more affordable for southeast Queenslanders thanks to the Fairer Fares Package introduced in December 2016,” Mr Bailey said.

“... The average annual saving for Gold Coast commuters under Fairer Fares is up to $1300 per year, depending where they are travelling from on the Coast.

“For Gold Coast commuters, catching public transport to Brisbane for work would cost an average of $94.23 each week or $10.47 per journey when using a go card. This would have been $102.33 per week or $11.37 per journey had the Palaszczuk Government not intervened to slash fares with our Fairer Fares Package.”

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon said she had commuted to Brisbane by train herself in the past because she reckoned it made financial sense.

“I made the decision to commute to Brisbane in my first graduate law job out of university because it added up financially,” Ms Scanlon said.

“The Palaszczuk Government has a great track record in the public transport space having slashed the price which had previously skyrocketed 7.5 per cent, year after year, under the LNP.”

Imagine how many more people would also choose the train if the fares were cheaper – and the knock-on benefit for the M1.

As things stand, our survey shows most Gold Coasters regard the $94-a-week cost of commuting to Brisbane by train as excessive.

The price is similar to what you could expect to pay going by car – at current prices about $90 a week on petrol – but without the door-to-door convenience.

So they continue to drive.

The M1 is such a major problem that more radical thinking is needed.

The Government should at least commission a study into the likely benefits of slashing fare prices. After all, why spend $163 million upgrading the capacity of the train line and then not try to get maximum use out of it? It is spending dollars and saving cents. It makes no sense.

It is also apparent that the full benefits of that upgrade are not yet being seen by commuters. Asked if the capacity is being fully utilised at peak times, Minister Bailey replied that “as demand increases and more resources such as rolling stock and traincrew become available, the duplicated line provides capability for Queensland Rail to enhance services in the future as required.”

Why wait? That demand could be boosted now and cars taken off the crowded M1.

Make the train the more attractive option, market the hell out of it, and patronage could surge.

Everyone then benefits. Tradies can’t take the train, but they would surely appreciate sharing the M1 with fewer office workers.

The Palaszczuk Government is spending more on the rail system, much more, to increase capacity further.

A massive $5.2 billion is being spent on Cross River Rail, which will deliver even more capacity to the Gold Coast, allowing trains to depart every five minutes during peak hour.

Are we really going to spend such a huge amount of money to upgrade our rail line only to keep fares at a level that discourages people from using it?

The traditional view that Gold Coasters cannot be coaxed out of their cars has been proven wrong by our survey. Nobody will sit in traffic for hours every day if there is a reliable and reasonably priced alternative.

The Palaszczuk Government is investing the big dollars to get the reliability side of the equation right. If they move to fix the price issue too, then they’re going to see a lot more Gold Coast commuters use the trains.

Don’t believe me? Just ask them.

THE GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING DOLLARS AND SAVING CENTS. IT MAKES NO SENSE.