June 25, 2019
Where would you spend $100 million if you had the chance to improve local transport?
According to the RACQ, residents in the South and North Burnett, Cherbourg, Gympie, Bundaberg and Fraser Coast regions would allocate almost two-thirds of it to improve their local and State-controlled roads.
As part of its Transport Priorities Survey, the RACQ gave more than 2000 Queenslanders a hypothetical $100 million and asked how they would spend it to improve transport networks.
“Locals are in the best position to identify the problems their roads face, and when you put the power in their hands it becomes clear what they value most and where they want to see improvements, and they’re clearly frustrated by the current state,” RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross said.
“More than 60 per cent told us they want to see main roads and highways upgraded due to the amount of traffic using them, with a similar number believing maintenance of local roads aren’t up to scratch.
“They’re also concerned about safety on the roads they travel every day.”
Ms Ross said respondents wished to allocate about one-quarter of their budgets to boosting public transport.
“This is because more than 60 per cent of locals consider public transport in the region to be insufficient,” she said.
“They also told us services didn’t run where they need to.
“Sadly, regional Queensland is at risk of transport disadvantage because of its smaller populations spread over larger areas, so often it’s disregarded when it comes to funding for these services.
“Everyone pays rates and taxes, so we urge all levels of government to consider what’s important to the people who contribute to them.”
