THE trial of a shared-ride form of public transport – Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) – is set to start in Logan City in September, co-ordinated by the state government’s Translink.
“It’s a new initiative in areas like Munruben, where there’s low density,” member for Logan Linus Power said at the recent opening of the Flagstone Bridge.
“We can actually service those people by getting transport on demand to peak hubs and centres.”
Also at the event was deputy premier Jackie Trad, who said the trials are currently being planned in consultation with the community.
What is Demand Responsive Transport?
According to Translink, DRT is a pre-booked, shared transport service that provides an alternative to personalised services such as taxis or ride-share services like Uber, in suburbs where trains and buses are not available.
“DRT can help connect you to major public transport stations or to local facilities, offering greater convenience and more choice to customers,” the Translink website states.
Ms Trad said DRT-eligible commuters will be able to ring up or go online and pre-book a ride to get them to an appointment or to a transport hub for the same cost as a Translink fare.
“DRT will complement existing transport networks in Logan with trials rolling out from September 2017 for a 12-month period.
“I want to acknowledge the work of the Queensland Community Alliance and local MPs who have championed this project.”
- Readers of the Times have expressed their views about DRT on social media. Have you taken part in the community consultation? Let us know your thoughts by sending an email.
Transport picture
The Logan DRT trial comes after years of debate about public transport solutions for the housing developments in Logan City.
“If they prove successful, we hope to be able to roll that out to communities like Flagstone which are under development, before such time as we actually get the population density to roll out mass transport,” Ms Trad said.
“The south-east Queensland regional plan will be coming out in the not too distant future.
“We have as a government preserved the necessary transport corridors for communities like Flagstone and southern Logan, so that when the population grows, we know that we can deliver the transport solutions that these communities need.
“We are doing the necessary transport investigations and planning before we bring additional services online.
“We are currently going through our bus service contracts process, and we are looking at all of that in the context of a statewide bus service contracts upgrade that we have to undertake necessarily, because the current contracts are due to expire,” she said.
To keep up to date on the Translink DRT trial go to haveyoursay.translink.com.au/demand-responsive-transport.
