Brisbane commuters recording faster trips under new bus timetable

Brisbane commuters are getting to their destinations more quickly under the city's redesigned bus network, with new data showing travel times have improved compared with the same period last year.

The major timetable overhaul - the most significant change to Brisbane's bus system in 20 years - came into effect on June 30.

Across the first three months of the rollout, passengers cut an average of two minutes from their journeys. Between July and September, overall journey times dropped by 7 per cent while bus patronage jumped 17 per cent compared with the same quarter in 2023.

The state government and Brisbane City Council have welcomed the early results, though transport advocates argue the improvements highlight the need for broader reforms across south-east Queensland's network.

Data from the end of the state's six-month 50-cent fare trial also showed public transport use rising 18.3 per cent overall, with bus travel increasing 15.8 per cent.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said the new network was delivering more frequent, reliable and better-connected services.

Since the changes were introduced, on-time running has lifted by 5 per cent, reaching 81 per cent. About 75 per cent of Brisbane's bus services have been altered in some way - through route changes, service additions or cuts, renaming, or splitting routes.

Mr Mickelberg said Queenslanders had saved around $236 million across 114 million trips since the permanent introduction of 50-cent fares.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the redesigned network would enable 160,000 additional trips each year and offer faster journeys for more than 45 million passengers.

"With more than 600 people moving to Brisbane every week, we need to keep expanding our transport system to keep the city moving," Cr Schrinner said. He added that the council remained focused on helping residents "get home sooner and safer".

Meanwhile, Translink's customer experience surveys for 2025 show mixed public sentiment. Monthly satisfaction ratings for bus services in south-east Queensland were 3.7 out of 5 in July, 3.6 in August, and 4.1 in September.

Among 361 survey respondents, 70 per cent reported their commute had increased, 50 per cent said they were making more transfers, and 70 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with the changes.