Brisbane Transport - History

History

The origins of Brisbane Transport can be seen as far back as 1885 where the Metropolitan Tramways and Investment Company established horse trams to service Brisbane under franchise from the Queensland Government. The tram system remained in private hands until 1922 when the Queensland government established the Brisbane Tramways Trust, compulsorily acquiring the tram network and supporting infrastructure, then in 1925 creating the Brisbane City Council and transferring responsibility for the tram network to the council. Before the council withdrew support in 1961, the council supported the tram network by expanding it and upgrading the fleet of trams.

First bus services was started in 1925 by the Brisbane City Council. Brisbane City Council shut down bus services due to financial loss in 1927, but bus services was recommenced 13 years later, in 1940. By 1940 the council was operating 12 diesel buses.

The first Rocket services began on the morning of 18 April 1977 between Garden City and the Brisbane CBD. These services were based on the idea that bus travel time could be reduced to less than the travel time by car by the removal of most embarkation stops.

In the 1990s, Brisbane City Council corporatised its transport services to form Brisbane Transport, a council-owned commercial businesses managed at arm's length from the council and providing consultancy services back to it. In 2010 however government and Brisbane City Council support for public transport have never been higher with over 1061 buses in service, Translink, construction of key infrastructure such as busways and upgrade of key infrastructure.