PUBLIC ON RIGHT TRACK

GOLD Coasters are taking 7 million more trips a year on public transport than five years ago.

New government data shows 21.47 million passengers got on buses and trams last financial year, well up on the 13.93 million trips in 2013-14.

Political leaders said the appetite for public transport boded well for the extension of the light rail to Burleigh – for which a business case would be finalised in a matter of weeks – and protecting existing bus services.

“Bus relocation has been a big success and the additional investment in light rail did not take it away – they were simply redistributed and we are now seeing the benefit of this,” Transport Minister Mark Bailey said.

THE case for the Gold Coast light rail’s $660 million third stage has been bolstered with new data revealing an extra seven million people are using the city’s public transport network thanks to trams.

Public transport patronage has increased by more than 50 per cent in the past five years, according to figures obtained under right to information (RTI).

Political leaders say the figures add momentum to the push to extend the light rail line to the border.

The State Government yesterday said it was a handful of weeks away from finalising the business case for stage 3A from Broadbeach to Burleigh.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey also revealed existing bus services would be protected given the appetite for public transport.

“Bus relocation has been a big success and the additional investment in light rail did not take it away – they were simply redistributed and we are now seeing the benefit of this,” he said.

“The same thing will happen with stage 3 and this extension will mean the connection will go further down – it is a no-brainer.

“These figures show ... that when you provide adequate transport infrastructure which is well-researched and planned then people will use it.”

The data was obtained under RTI by public advocacy group Rail Back on Track.

It revealed patronage on the Coast’s bus network plummeted

14.4 per cent, or around 3 million people in 2014-15, the year light rail was introduced.

However, overall tram and bus patronage together is up 50.9 per cent since 2014 – with 21.4 million people using them last financial year, up from 13.9 million in 2013-14.

“It is remarkable that for every two people using public transport five years ago, there is now an extra person joining them and another person who is not using their own vehicle,” Rail Back on Track Gold Coast spokesman Steven Jamieson said.

“It is not only driving better patronage but this will also mean bus resources will be invested elsewhere so you will be seeing them run every 15 minutes to places which have not been serviced regularly before.”

The light rail’s Stage 3A will run down the centre of the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh Heads.

The Federal Government is expected to chip in $112 million and council $66 million. The State Government will underwrite the project.