REDLAND City mayor Karen Williams says Transport Minister Mark Bailey has made insulting and embarrassing assumptions in response to her call for a free bus service to ease parking problems at Redland Hospital.
Cr Williams called on Mr Bailey to consider a free bus loop to transport people from the Cleveland train station, Cleveland CBD and other transport hubs to the hospital.
Mr Bailey responded by labelling it as the mayor's latest stunt, saying Cr Williams had promised the service during the last election.
Cr Williams said she failed to see how it could be a stunt when the request had come from a meeting with Mr Bailey's colleague Health Minister Steven Miles.
"This was a genuine request to help alleviate the parking situation at the hospital while the parking study is completed," she said.
"The real problem is that instead of responding to the needs of residents, the state government wants to throw it back to our residents to fund.
"First they want residents to fund ferry travel, then they want residents to fund ferry infrastructure and now they want us to fund bus services. What’s next rail services?"
Cr Williams said that if Mr Bailey had put politics aside he would realised that a temporary bus running from key transport and marine hubs to the hospital would be welcomed by residents.
"If the minister had just picked up the phone, he would've discovered the request for a temporary bus route to the hospital is completely separate to my election pledge of an inner-city mini bus, which I personally am separately still looking at," Cr Williams said.
"It would’ve taken one phone call to get the facts before making insulting and embarrassing assumptions.
"While residents will be disappointed by the minister's reply to a genuine request, I don't think they'll be surprised given the state's responses to past transport requests."
Cr Williams said island residents were among some of the most disadvantaged in the nation.
She said there were a higher number of aged and people with disabilities living on the islands who needed a bus from ferry terminals to the hospital.
Mr Bailey said earlier the free bus service was on Cr William's how-to-vote card.
"Three years later, the mayor has reneged on her commitment to the people of the Redlands by confirming she has no intention of funding her election promise and is now calling on the state government to deliver her commitment," Mr Bailey said.
In her initial appeal, Cr Williams said she had met with Dr Miles about Redland Hospital.
She was concerned that a review of the hospital car park would not provide relief for patients for years.
Cr Williams said the bus service would provide immediate relief for patients and their family members who visited them at the hospital while the parking review was being completed.
Mr Bailey was asked to respond.