The Mayor has warned of a ‘time bomb’ waiting to happen unless the state government hurries up and outlines its transport plan for the southern Gold Coast.
The government last month axed Light Rail Stage Four, indicating extra services would be used in the meantime.
But the plan was lacking in detail amid claims by experts that the southern Gold Coast faces decades of congestion.
Tom Tate met with Transport Minister Brent Mickleberg to discuss transport solutions for the entire city, including east-west connections.
But it was the southern corridor that was the immediate priority, with Light Rail Stage Three set to open within nine months.
“In May next year, light rail stage three will be opened, and what are you going to do to address people who are wanting to go further south?” The Mayor said.
“The bus capacity it won’t hold, so please share your vision on that, and we look forward to seeing that. You know, my wish would be great to see something like that by January, so that I think TMR should work right through Christmas for it.”
While metro-style rapid bus services appear to be on the cards as a longer-term solution, the Mayor fears that that will take too long to get up and running.
“I don’t see that you can activate a metro system in the next three years. So it will be increased in the 777 buses, and one will say ‘Is that going to be enough capacity? ‘I say count the number,s and that won’t be sufficient.”
The Mayor has warned that it won’t be long before the Gold Coast Highway will no longer be able to handle the extra traffic.
“In the short term, it will. But within three years, it won’t. So you’ve got the time bomb that’s going there. We want a solution up and running within three years to help alleviate people who live down south.”
