Australian bus and coach operator Kinetic has been awarded a long-term contract to deliver on-demand transport on the Gold Coast, with electric buses to be introduced to the network this year.
Kinetic has secured a new five-year deal to operate on-demand services on the Gold Coast, securing the future of the service that was made permanent by the Queensland government in October last year.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has awarded the contract to allow Kinetic to continue delivering flexible and accessible transport on the Gold Coast from May 1.
Passengers book trips through the Translink On Demand app, with access to real-time service tracking, notifications and journey planning across the broader Gold Coast public transport network.
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More than 320,645 passenger trips have been completed to date, with more than 1.7 million kilometres travelled across the network.
Kinetic says the service has proven a critical connector with high-frequency public transport, with passengers using ODT to link with bus services, heavy rail and light rail.
Kinetic will introduce two new zero-emission buses to the Gold Coast ODT fleet in September, which will be fully accessible. The new electric buses mark a significant step towards a cleaner on demand network on the Gold Coast.
Kinetic general manager (Gold Coast) Matt Thompson says the contract award recognises Kinetic’s commitment to delivering high-quality on demand services.
“We’ve been proud to operate this service since its trial began in 2022, and securing this contract means we can continue to invest in the service and the community it supports,” he says.
“The Gold Coast community has backed ODT all the way, and the numbers speak for themselves.
“What started as a trial has become an essential part of how people get around, connecting them with trains, light rail and bus services across the region, and the introduction of zero-emission buses to our on-demand fleet is an exciting step for green transportation on the Gold Coast.
“On demand transport plays an important role in connecting passengers to the broader public transport network, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Queensland government to grow and enhance the service.”
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