Transport in Brisbane - Public Transport

Public Transport

Brisbane's public transport system is provided by rail, buses, ferries and taxis. A large tram system closed in 1969, to be replaced by buses. A smaller trolley-bus system closed at the same time.

TransLink is a Queensland Government agency managing planning, co-ordination, integrated ticketing and zoning for public transport services covering Brisbane and South East Queensland. public transport services in the South-East Queensland region. Under the TransLink system, passengers pay common fares on all modes of public transport. TransLink tickets are accepted on both government- and privately owned buses, trains, and ferries. In 2007, Translink introduced a smartcard-based ticketing system, the go card. Paper tickets are still available. In most cases, travelling using the go Card costs at least 30% less than buying a paper ticket.

The rail services are operated by Citytrain, a division of Queensland Rail. The bus system, and the high-speed CityCat as well as the cross-river Cityferry are operated by Brisbane Transport, a business arm of the Brisbane City Council. Buses that serve the regional areas outside the Brisbane boundaries are operated by private-sector companies contracted by the State Government.

After some years of decline, Brisbane's public transport system is gradually being revitalised, with significant investment in railway station upgrades, busways, bus tunnels and new buses. However, patronage remains the lowest of all Australian capital cities, a far cry from public transport's heyday in the 1940s, when the tram system alone carried 160 million annually. By comparison, Brisbane's publicly owned bus service carried 53 million passengers in 2005, although Brisbane's population has doubled since the 1940s. This figure climbed to 77 million in 2010.

The CBD serves as the central hub for all public transport services, with Queen Street bus station for buses, Roma Street and Central stations for trains, and North Quay for ferries. Various smaller transfer hubs, such as the Cultural Centre busway station, are located at various strategically placed points of public importance and public interest in the city, including the Queensland Cultural Centre, South Bank Parklands and shopping malls, which are usually within dense population centres. Many busway stations are co-located with train stations, allowing easy transfers. (e.g. Roma St Station, South Bank).

In December 2005, TransLink began all-night public transport services on Friday and Saturday nights, under the name of NightLink. These buses are prefixed with the letter 'N' and often carry security guards for extra safety. A limited number of lines (Beenleigh, Ipswich, Caboolture) also run trains into the early morning hours.