The Tasmanian state government recently launched an exciting new service and facility in the hopes of boosting bus passenger numbers around Hobart.
In the fight to make transport more sustainable, the Tasmanian government has turned to buses in its capital city of Hobart. In late September, the Tasmanian government announced it was embarking on its most progressive public transport agenda in decades in a bid to ease traffic congestion around the Hobart city centre.
The nearby suburb of Kingborough will soon be providing its residents with more reasons to take the bus into Hobart. A new park and ride facility is set to open in Huntingfield alongside additional express bus services to and from Hobart two years after it was first conceptualised as part of the Hobart City Deal in 2019.
“It’s pretty new for us here in Tasmania,” Tasmanian deputy premier Michael Ferguson told ABC. “We’ve needed to initiate these new strategies to cater for our growing population.
“I’m very excited about it. It’ll help everyone integrate with each other better and provide better infrastructure to entice residents to leave their cars at home and take the bus.”
The Huntingfield Park and Ride will provide parking for 174 vehicles including motorcycles and accessible bays, with undercover seating available for 30 passengers. A modern amenities block with baby change facilities and secure storage for 26 bicycles will join a quick drop-off lane.
Feeding this facility is an additional 33 express bus services that will stop at the bay each weekday. This includes the extension of the X08 from Kingston Central and a completely new route in the X01.
“This initiative is coming courtesy of both customer demand and the need for sustainable transport options,” Ferguson says. “Our economy and infrastructure has grown since the state government was elected in 2014, which has put pressure on our infrastructure.
“We’ve had to be innovative and invest in infrastructure with extra express buses.”
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Ferguson says the services will provide immense benefit for Huon Valley and Kingborough residents, with 70 additional bus services being added per day. To celebrate the change, the Tasmanian government is offering free adult Greencards preloaded with a return fare for the first 300 customers who don’t already have one. With vouchers also on offer, it’s a time for celebration for Tasmanian bus passengers.
“We know some people haven’t caught the bus for years,” Ferguson says. “We want to give them an incentive to give it a go – we hope they then enjoy the experience.”
The services and facility is the start of a Tasmanian transport regeneration. Ferguson says the government will then work to produce planned transit lanes for buses on the Southern Outlet to make the journey via bus to Hobart the quickest option.
After working well with local councils and operators to establish the new network, Ferguson says he’s confident many Tasmanian locals will soon take the bus because it’s the most efficient and sustainable way forward.
“We hope it will make the trip into Hobart far smoother for many passengers,” Ferguson says. “We’ll then build extra bus lanes down the Southern Outlet to Hobart city to provide a travel time advantage for bus passengers.
“We want to do this to incentivise public transport rather than punishing car drivers. Local councils have been tremendous to work with, so we’re excited to continue the project.”