Rahul Somvanshi
Brisbane City Council has restarted bus services after disruptions caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, while train and ferry services continue to face delays across the city’s public transport network.
Buses, which account for two-thirds of Brisbane’s public transport trips, began operating again on Sunday morning. Transport crews delivered more than 700 services between 7:30am and 10am before being recalled around 11am due to worsening weather conditions.
“In Brisbane, we’re a bus city. Two-thirds of all public transport trips are taken on a bus,” said Transport Chair Councillor Ryan Murphy. “Queensland Rail are still out of action today. So if it wasn’t going to be our buses, it was going to be nothing.”
The resumption of bus services comes a week after CityCat and ferry services were suspended on March 3, followed by buses and trains ceasing operations on March 5.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner expressed gratitude toward bus drivers who helped restart services. “Our drivers are professionals and skilled at navigating Brisbane roads during storms and delivered more than 700 services between 7.30am and 10am. This is a fantastic effort that was really welcomed by residents.”
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However, not everyone supported the decision to resume operations so quickly. Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Tom Brown criticized the move, saying he was in “disbelief” about buses returning to roads while conditions remained dangerous.
“There’s relentless rain causing flooding, wind blowing down trees and power lines,” Brown said. “No one should be out there yet but council did not listen to my pleas to pull the buses back in.”
As of Monday, March 10, Brisbane City Council bus services remain suspended “until further notice due to overnight weather impacts causing flooding and road closures.” Some services in Logan, Redlands, and Moreton Bay have resumed operations.
For rail commuters, the Cleveland, Doomben, Gold Coast, and Redcliffe Peninsula lines aren’t running yet, but other train lines are operating on Sunday timetables. CityCat services are suspended for Monday but may resume on Tuesday.
TransLink advises that “public transport is continuing to come back online after major impacts due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred,” but warns that “some services will remain offline while crews undertake critical repairs and clean-up work.” These efforts are hampered by ongoing issues like localized flooding, road closures, and staff availability.
Residents are encouraged to check TransLink’s online journey planner, which updates daily at 6pm with information about the next day’s services, before making travel arrangements.
School buses will operate for schools that reopen on Monday, though no buses will run on the Gold Coast. Alternative bus services will operate on some routes where needed.
The Brisbane River remains closed to ferry traffic until further notice, though Southern Moreton Bay Island ferries have conducted some emergency services and recovery efforts.
