Huge show of support for commuter bus service from Victor Harbor to Adelaide

19 Jul 2020

Posted January 25, 2017

More than 240 people have completed a survey about using a commuter bus from Victor Harbor to Adelaide and already a third of respondents have said they would use the service every day during the working week, according to Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie.

The survey, which was launched on the NXT MP’s website last week, seeks to find out how many people might use an early morning and early evening service, how often and if they needed mobility access.

“By Monday morning we had 242 submissions with 79 people, 33 per cent, saying they would use it every day,” Ms Sharkie said.

“Even if only half of them took up the service, that’s a bus load of people who would pay for public transport if they could get to work or school in the city before 9am.

“Already the results fly in the face of statements by the State Government and bus operators that an early morning and after 5pm bus is not viable.”

About 45 per cent of survey respondents, 108 people, said they would use a commuter hours bus service “occasionally” and 47 people, 19 per cent, would use it every week.

Ms Sharkie said timeliness appeared to be the key point for residents who wanted the early morning bus in particular.

“People wanted an express service to Adelaide, or at least a streamlined service to interchanges in the suburbs to connect to other routes,” she said.

“We received a number of comments from people objecting to a two-hour commute that stopped at every town and a restricted afternoon timetable that didn’t allow people sufficient time to attend medical appointments and lectures.

“People also wanted a service that fitted in with train, bus and flight timetables and functions in Adelaide.

“Given these considerations are given to bus services to the city from Mount Pleasant in the northern Adelaide Hills and from Murray Bridge, I think residents’ comments are completely reasonable.”

Ms Sharkie said she was delighted with the response to the survey to date and she urged residents who haven’t filled it in online to do so or to visit her part-time office in Victor Harbor, starting February 3.

“Just this week I received a letter from the State Transport Minister, Stephen Mullighan, advising that bus operators did not consider early morning bus services to the Fleurieu to be financially viable,” Ms Sharkie said.

“I would like to go back to the Minister and bus operators and show them that if the right service was provided with the right timetables, then people would use an early morning and early evening bus and it could be financially viable.

“At present the three week-day return bus services, the two return services on Saturday and one return service on Sunday from Goolwa and Victor Harbor and Adelaide is just not enough to meet the needs of the community.”

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