Wheels in motion for more buses

WATER ferries and water taxis have been ruled out of the Gold Coast City Council’s push to improve the city’s public transport system.

Instead, the council’s 10-year traffic plan focuses on extending the light rail and pushing the state government for more high frequency bus services.

The draft Public Transport Plan 2018-2028 was presented to the council’s Infrastructure Committee yesterday ahead of going out for public consultation later this month.

The council’s Infrastructure Director Alton Twine told the committee yesterday any water service would be too slow.

“The capacity is small and by the time you load 40 people on and off the ferry and get to the destination, it would have been quicker to put them on the bus,” he said.

The plan instead sets out a desire to build the light rail extension to Burleigh in the next five years and extend the track south to Coolangatta within the next five to ten years.

The council is also planning to lobby the next state government for high frequency bus services on the northern Gold Coast.

“The state government suggests the demand is not strong enough for high frequency services,” Pimpama councillor Donna Gates said.

“My point of view is build it and they will come.

“Deliver the service and it will be used. They can’t use what’s not there.”

The committee voted to have the report returned in a fortnight to give them time to consider the community consultation questions.