| Mick
McShea - General Manager TransLink, Brisbane Australia
The face of South East Queensland (SEQ)
is changing. Like many other areas on the globe, the region is
undergoing rapid population growth coupled with changing residential
density and increasing urban sprawl. A key part of managing these
challenges is providing public transport that is attractive, efficient,
and fast, as well as being easy to use and understand.
In South East Queensland, the lack of
integration between the different transport modes has long been
a key factor limiting growth in public transport. In June 2002,
the Queensland Government announced a commitment to the introduction
of an integrated public transit system in SEQ. To perform this
task, the government has created a new entity to be known as TransLink.
The new system will standardise fares,
concessions, ticket types and zones across all public transport
modes and providers of public transport. It will create a more
effective public transport system that will offer patrons more
reliable, efficient and flexible transport. To achieve this complex
task by July 2004, TransLink will focus on three key tasks:
» Integrated ticketing
» New contracting arrangements with operators
» Public transport network planning
Another critical aspect of this new approach
to public transport in SEQ is the relationships between state
and local government and transport operators that are supported
by innovative governance arrangements.
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