BUS FAIL NOT GOOD ENOUGH

PUBLIC transport for the Games failed its first and possibly most important test last night.

And questions have to be asked why. Thousands of spectators did what they were asked – they set off early and used public transport.

But the hub at Broadbeach South, where passengers hopped off crowded trams with the expectation they would walk on to buses to take them to Carrara Stadium, could not handle the demand.

As the crowd grew, furious passengers phoned the Bulletin and other media to vent, wanting to know where the buses were. One said he had only seen one shuttle arrive in 15 minutes.

Despite tweets from Transport Minister Mark Bailey saying complaints were exaggerations, a Bulletin team on the spot reported that after the crowd had swelled to about 2000 earlier, at 6.30pm there was still about 1000 waiting for buses, which would arrive in pairs or maybe threes every 10 minutes or more. Transport officers were under pressure and, according to one of our reporters, apologising to passengers for the long delay.

Tempers flared when some people pushed into the line and on to a bus when it showed up. Boos rang out.

Mr Bailey might have said the complaints were overblown, but an extra 20odd buses were somehow then found to shift the crowd. Not enough planning, Mr Bailey. Not enough buses. Not a good start.

People were upset and it made the minister’s optimistic comments earlier this week that the system worked during rehearsals look lame. Those rehearsals catered for 30,000 people over two nights. Last night’s ceremony would have been attended by the capacity crowd of 35,000 – not an overwhelming test, given it was about the size of a decent footy crowd.

This should not be shrugged off as an exaggeration. There is too much at stake for the Gold Coast. Transport must not let the city down.