Keeping Brisbane moving
Brisbane City Council has been proudly moving Brisbane’s buses for nearly 100 years. Our bus network plays an essential role in connecting you to the people and places you love.
Council has reached an agreement with the State Government to better fund Brisbane’s bus network and keep our city moving. This will mean more bus services, more often.
With this investment, we can improve the frequency and reliability of bus services for you while expanding services to new suburbs across our bus network.
This includes:
- Ongoing commitment to annually increase bus network funding with an additional $75 million this year to grow our bus network .
- Early service commencement of the high-capacity metros to replace 169 buses in October this year.
- Funding for Brisbane Metro (M1 and M2) services to commence.
- Increased bus network capacity with the introduction of additional bus services to support the 50 cent fares in August.
- Collaborate with the State Government to undertake annual bus network reviews starting with reviewing Brisbane’s northside bus services.
- With support from the State Government, reshaping our bus network to better complement rail connections, to deliver a connected multi-modal network.
A better deal for Brisbane
Investing in high-quality public transport is the most effective way to keep our city moving and deliver the public transport the people of Brisbane deserve. Together with the State Government we will:
Provide more services, more often - a bus network that grows with us
- State Government funding that grows with our city means we can improve the frequency and reliability of bus services for you while expanding services to new suburbs across our bus network. The new agreement with the State will deliver more bus services, more often – with our network expanded to new suburbs. Starting with Brisbane's northside, our transport planners will work with the State Government to undertake annual bus network reviews.
- Ahead of the 50 cent fares trial from 5 August, the State will support Brisbane’s bus network with demand-responsive bus services to help meet the expected increase in service demand.
- Our award-winning work on Brisbane’s New Bus Network shows that Brisbane commuters are ready for reform. Our bus network will evolve to create more services, at the times you want to travel.
Deliver and expand turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro services
- Construction on stage one of Brisbane Metro is well underway and will introduce high-capacity and high-frequency turn-up-and-go services for our growing city.
- Under the new funding deal, the rapid deployment of Brisbane Metro vehicles on the busy 169 bus route between Eight Mile Plains and UQ St Lucia will take place from October 2024
- Arrangements made between Council and the State Government will also allow the Brisbane Metro M1 & M2 services to commence when complete.
- Council will work with the State Government to explore expansion of Brisbane Metro to more destinations in the East to Carindale and Capalaba, in the North to Chermside and Fitzgibbon and to the Brisbane Domestic and International Airport. Brisbane Metro is our transition to more sustainable public transport through the introduction of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
Fix bus to rail and deliver a true multi-modal network with more travel choices
- In Brisbane, buses carry two thirds of total passengers, leaving the rail network underutilised in many parts of the city.
- With support from the State, we’ll reshape our bus network to complement rail connections, to deliver a multi-modal network that gives passengers more options for a better, faster and more reliable journey.
- A truly multi-modal city will also mean greater connectivity to our ferries and e-mobility network as well as improved public and active transport options.
FAQs
Who is responsible for funding public transport?
Translink, a division of the Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads, is responsible for Queensland’s public transport network. Council operates Brisbane’s bus services under a contract with Translink.
Under the new funding agreement with the State, an additional $75 million will be invested into our bus network during 2024-25, with a commitment to an ongoing 75 per cent (State) to 25 per cent (Council) funding split in future years.
Why did Council seek a new deal?
Our current contract with Translink was due to expire upon the commencement of Brisbane Metro services. Council was seeking a better deal for Brisbane to deliver more services, greater capacity and improved bus reliability for our growing city.
When will Brisbane Metro services commence?
In October this year, metros will commence early service. The high-capacity metro vehicles will replace the 169 buses. By introducing metros, we will increase capacity on the busy 169 route to support the introduction of the State Government’s 50 cent fares initiative.
This means customers will have the opportunity to experience the electric metro vehicles ahead of Brisbane Metro services commencing (M1 and M2).
The 169 route travels between Eight Mile Plains and UQ Lakes and is a high-frequency service. Passenger and timetable information will be made available closer to October.
What is Brisbane’s New Bus Network?
Brisbane’s New Bus Network details Council’s plan for the future of our buses, making our network simpler and delivering 160,000 additional trips per year. The new network will be implemented alongside the introduction of full Brisbane Metro services (M1 and M2).
Our new network will unblock bottlenecks and reduce congestion in the CBD and Brisbane’s South-Eastern suburbs. This will enable capacity for future growth for the northern and eastern corridors, providing opportunity for more turn-up-and-go, on-time services for the rest of the network.
What is the 50 cent fares initiative?
50 cent fares is an initiative of the State Government, which will commence on 5 August 2024 and run as a trial for six months. Council expects that this initiative will increase patronage on our bus network. As part of our agreement with the State Government, demand-responsive bus services will be funded by the State and operated by Council during the 50 cent fares trial. This will ensure our buses have capacity to absorb the additional patronage without overcrowding.