Better School Buses for Fig Tree Pocket

School drop-off and pick-up creates terrible traffic congestion between Fig Tree Pocket and Indooroopilly (Witton Rd, Radnor St, Coonan St and Lambert Rd). This is extremely disruptive for families with school-aged children and other local residents alike.

Better buses, including a direct bus route which works for everyone at all four schools would cut congestion and take the pressure off families.

How we get better school buses

The State government authority Translink conducts a school bus network review twice per year, with changes coming into effect in Term 1 and Term 3.

Translink is required to consider community input when deciding on new services. That means if we can mobilise enough families, we stand a good chance of securing changes.

At the start of 2020, I helped Bardon and Rainworth families secure a direct Translink bus to Kelvin Grove State College.

Back in 2020 I launched this campaign to help Fig Tree Pocket families with kids at St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly State High School, Holy Family and Brigidine College should have access to a direct Translink school bus route in the morning and afternoon. Hundreds of locals emailed the State Transport Minister asking for change.

In early 2022 we secured a partial win for Fig Tree Pocket school buses, with:

- A new S722 service in the morning where there previously was none

- A slightly later 3.25pm departure time from Lambert Rd for the existing afternoon S722 service, allowing more young people from St Peters to catch the bus

- An extended S722 service which will now cover more of Fig Tree Pocket, starting in Mandalay and travelling along Fig Tree Pocket Rd

This was a really encouraging win, but we haven't achieved all of our goals yet:

- The S722 still takes a long time to reach Indooroopilly (around 50 minutes), travelling via Chapel Hill instead of directly.

- There are still just two public bus services per day - even though we have been pushing for four (two in the morning and two in the afternoon).

- The mainstream 430 and 445 buses are still infrequent, and connections between the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre bus stop and Lambert Rd are difficult.

The public 430 and 445 buses from Fig Tree Pocket also do not stop close to the four schools, instead travelling to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and the CBD. There is also still no public bus running up the eastern side of Fig Tree Pocket on Jesmond Rd.

That's why I've launched another campaign for more frequent 430 and 445 services and a new bus connecting Fig Tree Pocket and Indro. You can read more about that and sign the petition here.

Please share this page around and talk to your friends and neighbours if you think they might like to help us see this local issue resolved.