Surfside Buslines
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Surfside Buslines is the principal provider of public transportation on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It operates bus routes under the TransLink scheme in southeast Queensland.
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[edit] Service area
Surfside operates from Dreamworld in the north of the Gold Coast as far south as Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales (NSW). It is a unique operation as it encompasses both Queensland and NSW state government contracts for Gold Coast City Council and Tweed Shire Council respectively. The area with the best service coverage is the coastal strip, particularly between Southport and Burleigh Heads.
[edit] Routes
For accurate travel information, see the TransLink website linked below.
[edit] Queensland (TransLink) services
See the Gold Coast section of the TransLink services page.
Surfside Buslines run a series of routes which run up and down the Gold Coast Highway spine as a line-haul. This includes route 700, running from Southport to Tweed Heads bypassing Pacific Fair Shopping Centre every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This route has being touted as Australia's best all-night bus service. [1]
All Gold Coast Highway services, routes in the southern areas of the Gold Coast, all new routes and recently improved routes have been converted to TransLink's system of unique three digit numbering for all South East Queensland buses. With these changes, all routes will be improved to TransLink's defined minimum service standards.
The remaining old routes are planned to be renumbered, and improved if need be, by the end of 2006.
Plans to extend Citytrain's Gold Coast railway line south of Robina railway station to the Gold Coast Airport will see local bus routes rearranged to provide new feeder services for the new stations, as dictated in the Draft TransLink Network Plan.
A Carrara Markets Special is chartered by the markets, operating a $1.00 return service from Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Pacific Fair direct to the Markets.
[edit] Future Surfside Buslines services
The Draft TransLink Network Plan dictates plans for future improvements to Surfside's bus service. This incorporates new routes to better service the Gold Coast's growing population and urban sprawl.
[edit] Short Term (to 2007)
- Review, restructure and possibly improve all routes to increase service frequency, and make services more reliable to meet minimum standards for service coverage
- Trial flexible-route services in developing suburbs and canal estates
- New route 727 running to Pacific Pines
- New route 743 running from Carrara to Griffith University via Nerang
[edit] Medium Term (2008-2010)
- Progressively implement a Gold Coast Rapid Transit System either bus rapid transit or light rail between Griffith University and Broadbeach and restructure bus network accordingly, with surplus buses formerly used on the Gold Coast Highway then used to improve services elsewhere
- New feeder route running from Runaway Bay to Coomera Station via Hope Island
- New route running from Varsity Lakes and Robina to Griffith University
- New route running from Southport to Broadbeach via Ferry Road and Bundall Road
[edit] Long Term (2011-2014)
- Extend bus rapid transit or light rail to Coolangatta
- New direct route running from Southport to Coomera via Runaway Bay, Boykambil and currently proposed Intra-regional Transport Corridor
- New routes linking western communities as demand permits
[edit] New South Wales services
Recently Surfside conducted a public consultation and restructured services in Tweed Shire area.
| Route | Termini | Major Ports of Call | Days of operation | Operator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601 | Kingscliff TAFE - Bilambil Heights All Stops |
Kingscliff, Chinderah, South Tweed, Tweed Heads, Coolangatta and West Tweed | Every day | Surfside Buslines | |
| 602 | Tweed Heads - Banora Point All Stops |
Tweed Hospital and Tweed City | Every day | Surfside Buslines | |
| 603 | Tweed Heads - Pottsville All Stops |
Tweed City, Chinderah, Cudgen, Kingscliff, Salt, Casuarina, Bogangar - Cabarita and Hastings Point | Every day | Surfside Buslines | |
| 604 | Tweed Heads - Hillcrest All Stops |
Tweed Hospital, Tweed City, Dry Rock Road and Vintage Lakes | Every day | Surfside Buslines | |
| 605 | Tweed Heads - Murwillumbah All Stops |
Tweed City, Terranora, Tumbulgum and Condong | Every day | Surfside Buslines | |
| 606 | Tweed Heads - Fingal All Stops |
Banora Point, Oyster Point, Oxley Cove and Heritage Caravan Park | Monday - Saturday | Surfside Buslines | |
| 607 | Tweed City - Terranora All Stops |
Banora Point and Flame Tree Park | Monday - Friday | Surfside Buslines | |
| 608 | Kingscliff - Seabreeze Estate Community Service |
Salt, Casuarina, Bogangar, Koala Beach, Hasting Point and Pottsville | Monday - Friday | Surfside Buslines |
Surfside also provides many school services in the Gold Coast region. Although route buses no longer run to the Gold Coast Airport, Surfside maintains a connection between the airport and the nearest bus stop at Golden Four Drive, Kirra, operated by Toyota Coasters.
[edit] Interchanges
The main interchanges are:
- Australia Fair (Southport))
- Pacific Fair (Broadbeach)
- Tweed Heads
- Helensvale Station
- Nerang Station
- Robina Station
- Surfers Paradise Main Stops (50 Cavill Ave southbound; Appel Park northbound)
- Burleigh Heads Stop 42
- The Pines
- Runaway Bay Shopping village
- Harbour Town Shopping Centre
[edit] Fleet
Surfside operates a varied fleet of approximately 350 buses and coaches, notably including:
- MAN - SL202, 18.310
- Mercedes-Benz O405, O405NH, O500LE, O814D and O815D minibuses
- Toyota - Coaster
- Volvo Buses - B7R/RLE, B10M/ML/R, B12BLE.
Bodies include: Bustech, Custom Coaches, MCA & PMC
Bustech is a sister company of Surfside, which was established in 1998 to provide bodies initially for the Gold Coast operator, Surfside Buslines. It now produces bodies on many chassis, for operators all around Australia. Its main product today is the VST low-floor model, which Surfside have large amounts operating for them.
Surfside also operates the Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle, a bus service that runs between the Gold Coast Airport, Wet 'n Wild, Movie World, Dreamworld, Sea World and motels on the Gold Coast.
[edit] Depots
- Ernest (Southport)
- Tweed Heads
[edit] Livery
Surfside's livery is a yellow and white pattern. Some more recently introduced/refurbished buses have a corporate emblem displayed at the sides and rear consisting of the words "Surfside Buslines" accompanied either by just a wave and sun design or also by palm trees and surfboards, whereas other buses merely depict a stylised "Surfside Buslines" in blue flowing script. The new Bustech VST buses have grey 'skirts' on either side, as well as a black rubber composite material bumper. Many of the new Bustech and some of the older buses are being painted in the Translink livery.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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