Angry southside residents take bus route protest to ‘ghost stop’
The group, who gathered at a now-redundant stop in Acacia Ridge, called for the reversal of changes that they say have left them worse off.
Suffering from cancer and osteoporosis, Sandra now has to walk further to catch the bus.
Her stop on Gregory Street in Acacia Ridge was made redundant as part of route changes introduced last year, with the 117 bus now picking up travellers from Watson Street, about 500 metres away.
“It’s quite a toll on my body,” she said.
Sandra (second from left) with other Acacia Ridge residents affected by route changes on Thursday. Credit: William Davis
“No one takes it seriously because we’re regarded as a low-income area.
“It’s like [they think] rejects live out here or misfits, and I feel that we’re personally being discriminated against because of our postcode, because we’re a lower-class people.”
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Sandra was one of about 10 southside residents who gathered at the “ghost stop” on Thursday morning to protest against changes they say have left them significantly worse off.
While they all declared they were apolitical, the group was brought together by Brisbane City Council’s Labor opposition.
The party has conducted polling since changes were introduced in June 2025, and reported more than 70 per cent of 369 respondents were unhappy with the impact on their routes.
“If the Lord Mayor did get out of his ivory tower in City Hall and came out to the suburbs and spoke to people – real people like we’ve got here today – he would get real-life examples of the decisions that he makes,” Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said.
“These cuts are affecting communities, not just across the south side – northside commuters have felt them as well.
