Archive, Industry News

Sunny coast boasts free summer bus services

Struggling bus patronage on the Sunshine State’s Sunshine Coast will get a boost these summer holidays, with free travel

November 7, 2012

With just 1 percent of people on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast using public transport, free bus travel is being offered to get more bottoms on seats these holidays.

TransLink has partnered with Sunshine Coast Regional Council to offer free bus travel for locals and visitors from December 26 to January 6.

Sunshine Coast Regional Councillor Rick Baberowski says the program, funded by the council’s public transport levy, will make travel easier during the hectic holiday period.

“We’re encouraging people to jump on board and try public transport services free of charge to see what’s available to them and in particular how attractive catching a modern bus can be,” Baberowski says.

Baberowski says the free holiday buses initiative has proved very popular in the past, with about 300,000 passengers using public buses during the free period last year.

“It’s great to see people making the most of the free buses and hopefully considering using public transport on a more regular basis,” he says.

“The free holiday buses program not only increases awareness and patronage, but also helps ease congestion on our roads throughout the busy festive season.”

All Coast public transport will be free including, TransLink’s Sunshine Coast Sunbus services, which services 27 routes across the Sunshine Coast, Glasshouse Country Coaches services, and Flexilink services.

Earlier this year Sunshine Coast Regional Council Mayor Mark Jamieson and Councillor Rick Baberowski swapped their cars for buses in an effort to draw attention to the region’s struggling bus patronage.

According to council figures just one percent of Sunshine Coast Resident catch buses.

“If we’re serious about becoming the most sustainable region in Australia we need to have an efficient and effective public transport system,” he says.

Baberowski says the region needs to aim for at least 10 percent of travel on the Coast to be by bus.

“It’s an aspirational target — but we have to aim high if we are to live up to the reputation of being the most sustainable region,” he says.

“Catching a bus should be a more stress-free, affordable and sustainable way to travel but obviously most people still don’t consider using one.”

Send this to a friend