Welcome to Brrrisbane
Cold snap capers. Also: I’m here for faster and more sensible bus routes
Among other Brisbaneites, I woke up to a 9-degree chill this morning. And, as is sometimes my wont, I turned on Nine’s Today show — to be confronted, on this occasion, by their Adelaide reporter prancing about in shorts while their Brisbane reporter was wrapped in a blanket.
Given it was the same temperature in the two cities, humorous banter ensued. Sydney-based former Queenslander host Karl Stefanovic made remarks about why one might carry a blanket in the car if you live in Brisbane.
Upshot: it’s cold and will remain that way for some time.
One in 100
On Tuesday, along with the other passengers on the No. 100 bus heading out from the CBD around 4.30pm, I got a surprise when the driver announced he was going to take a short cut.
He did promptly a U-turn at the end of the bus way at the Gabba to avoid the mess around the cricket ground. Instead, we went parallel to the freeway and joined Ipswich Road just before the PA Hospital.
It occurred to me at the time that, despite the backtracking, this is a better, more efficient and (at least on this occasion) faster way to go.
On Wednesday, I read in the Courier-Mail that we can expect many bus routes to change from the end of this month, making “up to* 85 per cent” of bus journeys quicker.
Council transport committee chair Ryan Murphy is quoted as saying that not all services will come into the city. I assume that means that many commuters from the outer burbs might have to change buses, or from a bus to a train, to get to their workplaces in the CBD.
That’s a hassle for those people but might make for more efficient services overall.
I hope this is all well thought through and it works out well. Especially for me.
*“Up to” is one of those phrases favoured by politicians that has no real meaning. See my rant here.
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Disclosure: Brett Debritz has worked for Nine’s 4BC and for NewsCorp, among other news organisations, and is available for podcasts and parties.