“If this tired,20-year-old Brisbane City Council administration wants a change to the contract with the Airtrain operator,I look forward to their future offer of a substantial financial contribution,” he said.
“They could contribute savings they’ve made from cutting the North Brisbane Bikeway stage five,the two Green bridges they promised to build at the last council election,and the Mowbray Park upgrade project.”
The 8.5-kilometre Brisbane Airport Rail Link operates under a deed between the Queensland government and Airtrain that prevents the state facilitating competing services.
Although the Brisbane Metro is a council project,timetabling will be coordinated through the state government’s Translink public transport agency.
Professor Matthew Burke,the deputy director of Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute,said that situation was untenable,and the time had come for the state government to buy out the Airtrain contract.
“There’s not much time left in that concession now,and I think the numbers will be pretty small to actually buy out the remaining years,” he said.
“But it does run until after the Olympics,and it would be an international joke for people to arrive here and have to pay 20 bucks to ride a pretty ordinary suburban train.
“The next generation rollingstock is nice,but it’s only a suburban train.”
An Airtrain between Central Station and the airport costs travellers almost $20,making it cheaper for many couples or families to take a taxi or rideshare.
“When you’re in Hong Kong,you’re paying for luxury airline seats with express services and everything laid on – and the capacity to actually check in your luggage in the city – and you’re paying the same price as in Brisbane,” Burke said.
“Clearly we’re being overcharged for that service here,and it’s time to end it.
“That would also allow us to then start doing reasonably smart things with the bus network and not have to worry about this anti-competitive infrastructure clause that stupidly got signed into that agreement.”
Comment was sought from Brisbane Airtrain,but the offer was declined.
Brisbane Airport Corporation has long sought better public transport links to its terminals.
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“Today,60,000 passengers passed through Brisbane Airport,and 24,000 people came to work here. Most travelled by car,” spokesman Stephen Beckett said.
“Fast,reliable and affordable public transport is essential for Brisbane Airport.
“We’ll work with all levels of government to ensure Queenslanders who need to get to the airport can do so as easily as possible.”