BTQ Calls for Urgent ‘Fuel Saving Boost’ to Public and Active Transport
Better Transport Queensland (BTQ) is calling on the Queensland Government and local councils to rapidly scale up transport alternatives to match the escalating fuel crisis. The proposed Fuel Saving Transport Boost aims to save Queenslanders money, reduce commuting times, and provide a viable escape from pain at the pump.
The initiative, designed for immediate implementation, focuses on three core pillars:
1. Short Term: Prioritising Public Transport Flow
BTQ calls on the Queensland Government to implement the following items within the next two weeks:
- Pop-up Fuel Saving Bus Lanes: Rapidly designate dedicated bus lanes on major high-volume corridors to ensure public transit bypasses gridlock, making the bus the fastest way to travel.
- Increased Service Frequency: Immediately boost key off-peak and weekend rail and bus services across the network to 15 minute frequency, utilising fleet capacity that currently sits idle outside of rush hour to provide ‘turn-up-and-go’ convenience.
2. Medium Term: Empowering Active Transport & eMobility
- The ‘Short Trip’ Shift: Implement rapid-build active transport corridors in the inner city and suburban neighbourhoods across the state. This reduces the current reliance on private motor-vehicles (1) and encourages residents to swap short car trips for walking, cycling, or eMobility (e-bikes and e-scooters).
- Neighbourhood Connectivity: Improve safe infrastructure connecting residential pockets to local hubs and transit stations, ensuring the ‘last mile’ of a journey is safe, affordable, and fuel-free.
3. Long Term: Network Modernisation
- Fleet Electrification: Fully restore and accelerate the Zero Emissions Bus Program to decouple our public transport costs from global oil price volatility.
- System-Wide Reviews: Initiate comprehensive network audits to ensure routes reflect modern commuting patterns and maximise efficiency. This includes bringing forward the delayed Brisbane Northside bus review and removing the funding cap on bus services in Brisbane City Council (2) as a matter of priority.
Quotes attributable to Rowan Gray, BTQ Spokesperson:
“Petrol prices aren’t just a headline anymore; they are a direct hit to the household budget. With global supply remaining uncertain, our leaders are asking us to drive less—but to do that, they must give us a realistic way to move.
“The State Government and local councils need to launch this Fuel Saving Boost now. It’s about giving Queenslanders a real choice. In many parts of our state, taking the bus or a bike is seen as a ‘last resort’ because it’s perceived as too slow or disconnected. We need to change that narrative in weeks, not years.
“By rolling out pop-up bus lanes on our most congested roads, we effectively create ‘surface subways’. We make the bus the logical choice because it’s the only vehicle not stuck in traffic.
“Furthermore, we have to look at the trips that don’t require a car at all. Whether you are in the heart of the CBD or a suburban neighbourhood, short trips are the low-hanging fruit of fuel saving. By prioritising active transport and eMobility infrastructure, we make it safer and easier for people to leave the car in the garage for those quick runs to the shops or the station.
“More frequent services and better-connected paths are doable in the very short term. We have the buses, we have the trains, and we have the technology. We just need the political will to give the road space back to the people.”
References
(1) UQ News (2026), https://news.uq.edu.au/2026-03-car-free-trial-reveals-brisbane-living-too-hard-without-private-vehicle
(2) Brisbane Now (2026), https://brisbanenow.online/northside-bus-review-pushed-back-to-after-2028/
“A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor’s office said that the contract that the Council Opposition was referring to was since superseded after the election of the LNP state government, with a cap on bus funding for two years. This means that no new bus services can be delivered without removing a service from somewhere else.”
Appendix
BTQ believes that Fuel Saving Bus Lanes could be rolled out on:
- Ipswich Rd from Moorooka Train Station to Wooloongabba Busway
- Old Cleveland Rd from Carindale Bus Station to Langlands Park Busway
- Gympie Rd from Aspley to Kedron Brook Busway (including converting the peak-only Northern Transitway to 24/7 bus lanes)
- Kelvin Grove Rd / Enoggera Rd from Alderley Station to Normanby Busway Station
- Musgrave Rd / Waterworks Rd from The Gap to Normanby Busway Station
- Coronation Drive / Moggill Rd from Indooroopilly Bus Station to the CBD
- Captain Cook Bridge from the Stanley St ramps to Alice Street and Margaret Street
- George St / Roma St in the CBD
About Better Transport Queensland
Better Transport Queensland Inc. — Queensland’s leading advocacy group for public, active, and freight transport.
Visit our website at www.bettertransportqueensland.org.
BTQ Media Release Spokesperson - Rowan Gray
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