Bus use booms in Brisbane … but what’s driving the trend?
The number of people catching the bus in Brisbane has surged by more than a quarter in two years, but there are conflicting opinion on what is responsible.
Trips increased by at least 27 per cent since the beginning of 2024, council data released this week revealed.
About 6.8 million people tapped onto the Metro since its launch last year.
“This is the biggest two-year increase in patronage I think we have ever seen,” Adrian Schrinner told the City Hall chamber on Tuesday afternoon.
“That will keep growing, I have no doubt.”
Schrinner added his belief those figures were “undercooked” due to some residents failing to tap on every trip, and said the true increase exceeded 30 per cent.
There have been several major changes to the Brisbane public transport network over the last two years; 50 cent fares were rolled out in mid-2024, the Metro was opened in early 2025, a new bus network was rolled out about six months after that, and the Adelaide Street Tunnel opened in September, 2025.
Schrinner argued all were major contributors to the bus travel boom.
“That is something to celebrate and shows that when you plan the reform, you invest in the reform, you consult the community, and you roll it out in a determined and planned manner, people jump on board,” he said.
The Labor opposition was unconvinced, continuing to criticise council public transport policy and instead chalking up the entire increase to population growth and the state government’s 50 cent fare program.
“Thousands more have moved to Brisbane over the past two years, and of course, some need to use the bus … does the Lord Mayor want a pat on the back for that?” leader Jared Cassidy said in a statement.
“Adrian Schrinner won’t tell you how many more would be on the buses today if he didn’t cut bus stops and truncate bus routes in the suburbs.”
The data released by council on Tuesday suggested more people had begun using buses after the new network was rolled out, with 160,000 new trips taken and 1.4 million extra kilometres of services.
Council also said the network delivered faster travel for 45 million people, though has previously acknowledged about 15 per cent of trips would take longer than they previously had.
Residents in some areas have raised concerns about the changes, which altered about 150 routes to integrate the Metro.
“No one takes it seriously because we’re regarded as a low-income area,” cancer patient Sandra said after her stop on Gregory Street in Acacia Ridge was made redundant, increasing the distance she had to walk to catch public transport to hospital.
“It’s like [they think] rejects live out here or misfits, and I feel that we’re personally being discriminated against because of our postcode, because we’re a lower-class people.”
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