BRT Riposte: Brisbane Nails It

 What started in summer 2025 as a three part series on assorted busways in South East Asia became five parts, ad now reaches its sequel and end with my opinion that the busways of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia are the best I came across on my travels in 2025.  There are probably systems in SE Asia that I have not visited - it feels like Indonesia might have some - and I am definitely missing Adelaide's O-Bahn.  Next time in Oz!  It's amazing that the Brisbane system, which is now three distinct busways, only started operating in 2000.

• So, why Brisbane?  The features I particularly like and why they are better than many other bus rapid transit (BRT) services or infrastructure...
• It can be used by all bus types: there is no need for special vehicles that have physical or optical guidance, that have a different boparding height, doors on the off side etc.  Literally any Brisbane city bus can use the system;
• It is can be easily accessed by many bus routes: there are numerous access and egress points so if the busway offers a good option for accessing the city centre, a bus route can access it and use it;
• It is wide and has space: the roadways can be comfortably used by buses travelling at speed. It has not been designed to be millimetres wider than a bus, like so much other bus infrastructure (particularly in the UK);
• It has proper stations and a feeling of 'place'. It does not just have simple bus shelters, it has stations with the platforms and full length canopies you'd expect to find on a metro or well designed light rail system;
• Fares are the same as the rest of the Brisbane bus network (which at the time of visiting in July 2025 were capped at 50c a ride, and the same for the urban rail network);
• When the going gets tough, Brisbane got building.  There is a vast underground network of tunnels and stops in the city centre. Many other cities would return to on street running at this point with the risk of delay that brings; and
• It has an 'anchor' service.  A fleet of double articulated electric 'lighTram25' buses built by Hess (Switzerland) operate high frequency, high capacity services M1 and M2 on the busway system.

There's a couple of things I didn't like....

• The vast city centre network of underground stops didn't feel the biggest or most well lit, and could be quite narrow, which will bring a fear or risk of anti-social behaviour or personal attack.  It felt a little like Newcastle's (UK, not NSW) Eldon Square bus station in the early 1990s!;
• The standard livery on a Brisbane city bus looks like the front nearside window has been smashed and taped up: I'm told it's supposed to be a kite!; and
• At the time of my visit, the busy bus:train interchange at Roma Street station was undergoing construction works (for the forthcoming Brisbane Metro) and access to the busway platforms was lengthy and felt something of an afterthought.

From the album of holiday snaps.....

Each busway station has grade segregated access via stairs and lift (usuallu)

Overview of a station showing platforms that can handle 2-3 buses each and a lane for other vehicles to pass.  Hess lighTram25 vehicles operating M1 services are at each platform.

Where necessary there is both the opportunity to access normal roads, turn buses around and layover.

Network maps could be described as complicated, but that reflects the number of services that benefit from the journey time savings offered by the busway.

Entrance to a suburban city centre busway station is more akin to an underground railway station.

Services are varied and regular at all times of the day.  This is Roma Street station.

The Metro M1 and M2 services only started on 30th June 2025.

Hess lighTram25

Contactless payment card ticketing is available across Brisbane including multi-door boarding on the M1 and M2 services,

Real time information on board.

Catenary charging is used on both layover bays and at the first station

Catenary charging

Regular Brisbane city bus operating on the busway.  This shows the weird livery adopted that is supposed to be a kite over the the nearside window but initially looked to be like a broken window had been taped up!

Regular Brisbane city bus operating on the busway. 

Regular Brisbane city bus operating on the busway.  As well as regular 12m buses, longer 15m tri-axle rigids and 18m articulated buses are used, the latter shown here.

Regular Brisbane city bus operating on the busway. 

A Pentalogy of BRT (5) Jakarta and Seoul Extensive Networks

 Completing this pentalogy of Bus Rapid Transit posts of South East Asia is a brief glimpse of operations in Jakarta and Seoul.  Unlike the one-line systems of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi, these cities have adopted BRT as a city-wide form of mass transportation, both adding to extensive metro systems (particularly Seoul) and offering reduced journey time across many city bus routes.

Jakarta

There are dozens of BRT lines across the city: it is clear that there has been a conscious policy decision to adopt BRT city-wide.  Jakarta has elected to built dedicated BRT stations in the median which means buses need to be equipped with off-side doors.  For flexibility, many Jakarta buses have both near side 'low floor' doors and off side 'platform' height doors.  This probably means these buses will spend their life in Jakarta and have little value elsewhere.

Signage to BRT stations showing numerous lines and integrated with signage to metro lines.

One of the most substantial BRT stations in central Jakarta.

Jakarta BRT map showing the numerous lines.

List of Jakarta BRT routes

Off bus ticketing - ticket barriers control entry and exit at BRT stations

A very wet evening in Jakarta showing the segregated off-side running lanes for BRT.

Jakarta city bus showing off-side platform height doors, necessary to use BRT stations.

Seoul

The Seoul system is even more extensive: the use of the basic BRT infrastructure of dedicated lanes and stoops is integral to the entire city bus network. Therefore there isn't so much a BRT map as just a bus map. Furthermore any bus can use the infrastructure and stops as it is designed to be accessed on the nearside of the bus.  As well as city buses, inter-urban coaches also use the infrastructure.  The bus stops are often off-set from each other to reduce the amount of the median used.

Seoul has more conventional bus stops rather than BRT stations, although this particular stop is oe of the busiest.  There is no additional infrastructure such as platforms or ticket barriers.

Typical Seoul city bus on segregated median lane.  And still raining!

Off set stops reduce the amount of road space that needs to be used.

A Pentalogy of BRT (4) Understanding and Delivering the Brief: Kuala Lumpur

 

Amongst numerous metros and a single monorail, Kuala Lumpur has a single bus rapid transit (BRT) line.  It is shown on the city's integrated transit maps as the line B1 - Sunway line. The name reflects the fact it largely serves the Sunway development which includes residential and retail and a university, and was part funded by Sunway.

The Sunway line is largely elevated dedicated transitway.  It has access ramps for buses to from depot s and service vehicles but is not integrated with any other local buses. The layout means that it can only practicably be used by BRT Sunway line services, although there is interchange with other local buses en route.

There is no dedicated guidance infrastructure nor unusual step height, which means that, theoretically, any local bus could be used on Sunway line services.  However a small fleet BYD electric buses are dedicated to the service, based on their K9 model with a bespoke body and interior.  They are operated by Rapid KL, as are most other urban public transport services in Malaysia's capital.

There are seven stations on the BRT Sunway line, all of which are elevated and feature 100% off bus ticketing, with ticket barriers managing access to and from the platforms.  They are equipped for a local electronic ticketing scheme which offers cheaper fares than the cash fares from ticket machines and includes both pay-as-you-go and season tickets.  There is no ability to accept bank or credit cards for pay-as-you-go payment on the BRT or any other Kuala Lumpur metro/bus service.  The southern terminus at USJ7 station (yes, that is it's name) offers paid side interchange with the metro line 5.

This selection of photos illustrates the Kuala Lumpur Sunway BRT line and shows how the basic BRT brief of journey time reliability and reduction has been delivered, with no interference from any other traffic including other buses - which means the infrastructure benefits are only afforded to Sunway line passengers.

Paid side interchange at USJ7

USJ7 station BRT platform.  Guard rails were at some but not all BRT stations leading to the buses with a centre door for boarding and alighting.  The addition of tensa-type barriers is a common post-construction feature of transport infrastructure across south east Asia when they work out how they actually want to operate a site!

Elevated busway approaching USJ7.  No guidance (etc) equipment is required on vehicles.

One of the BYD K9 electric buses approaches USJ7.

Boarding and alighting is through a centre door with 100% off bus ticketing.

Interior seating layout is in a large bay.

Busway

Typical platform, this one has barriers added post-constriction to lead to the door location.

Access to the Sunway line bus.

Service vehicles can also access the infrastructure easily.

Staffed office and ticket barriers managing access to/from the platforms.

The elevated busway and BRT station.

Interior layout.

Forward section is largely for standees

No relation.  For more of this type of content see my other blog!

A Pentalogyof BRT (3) Functioning Hanoi

Part three of what started as a trilogy of BRTs but is now five (that is a pentalogy) is the reasonably functioning single line system in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Key features:

• Opened January 2017 so approaching a decade old;
• Dedicated off-side lanes for most of the route: they are missing for the first 500 metres or so at the southern Hanoi city centre terminus;
• Island stations and high platforms;
• Dedicated fleet of buses with high offside doors to serve the platforms;
• Ticket barriers in operation, requires a smart card pass or purchase a ticket (actually a reusable plastic token) at a staffed ticket office at each stop;
• Maintains a very high frequency throughout the day but is noticeably busier in the morning and evening peaks;
• Bus destination displays seem to vary wildly: they are supported in windscreen printed displays.

Ticket barriers for exit

Ticket  barriers for entry

Staffed ticket office

Door from platform to bus

Hanoi BRT us showing the offside mid-body doors.

The nearside layover space means buses have to reverse on to the departure stop.  There is no facility to 'drive around' the terminus bus station as the opposite side of the island is used by conventional buses travelling in the same direction.

BRT stops showing the platform boarding aligned to the doors on the buses.  Rear two platforms are for alighting, nearest two for boarding.

Entry to a BRT stop.

A BRT stop showing the ticket office on the right and entry gates ahead.

What seems to be comprehensive information about the route provided in Vietnamese.  There didn't seem any obvious reason why tourists would use the BRT.

Semi-signalled junction at the south end of the segregated section: the bus in the foreground will turn left to start the sone way loop to the terminus whilst the bus in the distance is starting its journey northbound and will cross the junction.  There are no left/right turn signals at this junction!

Hanoi BRT

Hanoi BRT with a regular Hyundai city bus (blue) passing in the regular traffic lanes.

Motorbikes rule in SE Asia and are far more common than private cars.  The BRT stop is on the left in the picture and the BRT lane space is being used by motorbikes at the traffic signals.

My conclusions....

• The system works as designed and is popular with commuters;
• Very lightly used at other times;
• Limited overall benefit to Hanoi as non-BRT buses (most of them) cannot use the infrastructure;
• An internet search suggests that a network of seven or eight BRT routes was to be constructed in Hanoi, but this has not happened - yet!

What else in Hanoi?

Metro Line 1 is built and operating to the west of the city.

At the time of visiting, Metro line 2 was half built with the northern half operational.....

....and the southern half being built 'cut & cover'

This aspirational network map was seen on display at one station.

Large numbers of these diesel Hyundai buses with a manual gearbox are in operation.

As well as quite a number of these domestically built Vinfast electric buses.

The humble motorbike serves many functions!

And traffic junctions are dominated by 'powered two wheelers' and not cars.

 

And Train Street, as the trains taking 1.5 days to reach Ho Chi Minh leave Hanoi's main station.