Bus overcrowding prompts push for more Brisbane transit lanes

Kathy de Leon starts lining up for her bus about 30 minutes before it arrives.

If she does not get to her stop early enough, the 59-year-old can expect to stand for the entire 45-minute journey from Brisbane’s CBD to Park Ridge in Logan, something she finds physically challenging.

“I arrive at the bus stop around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and by the time the bus arrives at 3:30PM the line is about 20 to 25 metres long,” she said.

“That’s just the first stop, and you have two other stops in the city and then a main stop.”

Ms de Leon said buses had become more crowded at peak hour since 50 cent fares were introduced in 2024.

“People increased, but our buses didn’t increase, so our buses are more packed and busier because we don’t have any extra buses,” she said.

“Our buses aren’t particularly quick in succession, so you won’t get the next one for another 30 minutes or so.”

Buses are Queensland’s most popular form of public transport, and patronage has risen by 17 per cent compared to the same time last year. 

But transport advocacy groups say a lack of investment in the past decade has meant buses are often unreliable and overcrowded during peak hour.

They are calling for dedicated bus and bike lanes during certain times of the day to improve reliability and frequency on major roads across south-east Queensland, as well as T2 and T3 lanes to encourage carpooling.

“This could be done on Ipswich Road, Sandgate Road and a whole heap of places in Brisbane, as well as some of the east-west corridors on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast,” Bicycle Queensland chief executive Dr Matthew Burke said.

“We already have lines on maps where we would like bus priority measures or future trackless trams to go … so now we have a chance to accelerate that development.”

Dr Burke said pop-up bus lanes could be implemented relatively quickly and would make a big difference to the frequency and reliability of bus services.

“We have the ability to do it now during the fuel crisis and accelerate the development of a more sustainable city that we want to live in,” he said. 

Queensland Bus Industry Council executive director Jason O’Dwyer agreed with the idea, especially if it encouraged more people onto public transport.

“It’s a good net return for taxpayers because it’s a bit of paint and a few enforcement cameras along corridors for a period of time,” Mr O’Dwyer said.

“We want to encourage more people onto buses because one bus takes 40 to 50 people off the road.”

‘Don’t want to do a sardine impression’

The good news is, pop-up bus lanes are nothing new.

One example is Brisbane’s 130 bus that operates between Illaweena Street in Stretton/Parkinson and the Queen Street Bus Station in the CBD, running via the South East Busway, Sunnybank, and Algester.

“It’s a mix of exclusive bus lanes, T2 and T3 lanes, and what that has done is encouraged the buses to go much faster because they’re not caught in traffic and there’s a bus every two to three minutes,” Dr Burke said.

“This is not something we have to pluck out of our heads.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said “any changes to road space needs careful consideration”. 

He said his focus was on planning for growth by encouraging homes closer to jobs, public transport and local services.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the state’s bus network performance was regularly reviewed to “ensure they continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve”.

While Kathy de Leon supports the idea of pop-up bus lanes, she also wants an expansion of public transport to outlying suburbs.

“I would certainly like a few more buses on our route, and they certainly need to clean up traffic on some of those busy intersections, so maybe a dedicated bus lane would help,” she said.