Letter of the Week
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FROM July 29, Queensland Rail (QR) will add 430 services and an extra 200,000 seats across its network.
For Gold Coast commuters, this means restoring key peak services and creating a consistent Monday to Friday timetable.
Plenty of hard work has gone on behind the scenes at QR to reinstate these services, and this week’s announcement is about ensuring commuters can start planning for these changes.
The work that has gone into getting these services back online shows the long-term damage of decisions made by the LNP.
It was on the LNP’s watch that 48 drivers were cut, driver recruitment was suspended and zero drivers started training in 2014.
Contrary to Ron Nightingale’s musings (GCB, 26/6), we fixed what the LNP took away and we’re not stopping there.
The Palaszczuk Government has committed to building three new stations along the Coast, we’ve duplicated the rail from Coomera to Helensvale, and we’re developing a new $371 million smart ticketing system.
On the M1, we’re delivering more than $2.4 billion to tackle congestion after the LNP failed to spend a single dollar in three years.
With Queenslanders on-track to break last year’s public transport patronage record, the Palaszczuk Government is continuing to invest in public transport so there can be even more services for commuters. MARK BAILEY, TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS MINISTER PEOPLE pods on wheels for the struggling less fortunate homeless?
The Bulletin editorial suggests (25/6): “Yes, there will be pot holes with its launching, but it could save a young life.”
Made of plyboard and fibreglass and 2m-by-1m in length – apart from arguably uncomfortable, they could possibly also become transport for the bicycle rider’s friends riding from one destination to another.
That would not only be dangerous being made from such flimsy materials but cause untold traffic problems with other road users trying to pass. Just imagine if some of these contraptions were following close to each other down the roads. With these on the roads untold traffic congestion would be chaotic.
Added to that, being so low to the ground and if occupied by another lying within the contraption with a friend cycling – a life would not be saved but the distinct possibility of further deaths would occur on our roads.
Also I think our councillor for Southport, although an endearing character oozing compassion as one should for those in dire circumstances, I am surprised at the lack of thought and the lives for the homeless by council to even consider approving such a hair-brained scheme. TERRY STOLLERY, SOUTHPORT THE potential cruise ship terminal and jetty shown in the Bulletin (24/6) as part of The Spit Master Plan is intriguing.
Showing cruise ships berthing along a pier extending from the shore to a breakwater paralleling the coastline, spectators and passengers could be amazed by the skill of captains as they manoeuvre their vessels – perhaps of moderate size, say, 80,000 tons carrying about 2000 passengers, 260 metres long with a draft of 8 metres – around the end of the breakwater, through the surf and turning towards the sea as they come alongside. Could be quite a show. RONALD SKEATES SANCTUARY Cove golfers have apparently good reason to be upset about police surveillance of their golf buggy behaviour (GCB 25/6). As a fully registered vehicle, I find it puzzling why it cannot be driven on a public road for a very short distance.
Police interest in buggy driving within owners’ private property is certainly beyond police responsibilities and should be discontinued. Law-abiding citizens should not be subject to what the police are putting them through.
As quoted, given the number of younger drivers whose driving is not up to par, surely greater police presence would be much more effective in those new areas in the Gold Coast northern suburbs where traffic infringements are far too prominent.
Let’s hope such seemingly officious police behaviour turns out to be a storm in a tea cup and blows over quickly.
The police though do appear the bogies in this rather trivial scenario. KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE SOUTH