The recent upgrade of infrastructure in the Western Australian city of Albany for young people, including a skate park, was showcased to local youth with a free community bus service.
Swan Transit, a subsidiary of Transit Systems that operates in Perth, Bunbury, Busselton and Albany in Western Australia, completed a three-week service trial to gauge interest and demand.
Swan Transit worked with the Albany Youth Support Association and Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) to proactively offer, at no cost, five additional services with six drop-off locations to transport dozens of students to the new facilities.
Operations supervisor in Albany Justin Goldsmith not only highlighted the need for the service and instigated its successful trial, but drove buses himself.
Transit Systems chief operating officer Greg Balkin said the proactive initiative was a perfect example of what sets Transit Systems apart.
“We are dedicated to leveraging our global experience to deliver safe, reliable and convenient local transport networks, but we are also committed to supporting the local communities where we operate and that includes recognising and responding to local needs as they emerge and evolve.
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The initiative encouraged young people to utilise infrastructure in their community
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“I commend Justin and the Swan Transit team on this initiative, recognising the need for it, trialing it and working with local stakeholder groups to ensure we are making a positive difference in the community.”
Albany Youth Support Association CEO Ian Clarke said the community bus program has helped the local youth realise what opportunities were on offer nearby.
“Some of the youth didn’t know about the places or services that were available to them, so it is a good way of educating them. It demonstrated there were young people who were out there looking for additional services, which will help us plan for the future,” he said.
Positive change is a passion within the Transit Systems Group, with Neil Smith, non-executive director of Kelsian Group – which owns Transit Systems – recently establishing the Neil Smith Chair of Sustainable Transport at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies for 10 years, with the largest ever donation to the University of Sydney Business School.
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The new skatepark in Albany has been a popular addition for Albany residents
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Transit Systems also recently announced it has maintained its certification at ‘Integration Level’ on the 2021 International Customer Service Standard from the Customer Service Institute of Australia within the NSW operations.
“We are all about the customer – be they a youth traveler, holiday maker, or a commuter – and we’re incredibly proud of our frontline teams who do make a difference in the local communities every day,” he said.
