In Byron Shire and beyond, we have a regular, convenient and reliable public transport system moving thousands of commuters through rapid connections and a rural on-demand pick up and set down at the front gate.
Anyone who has ridden the school bus system can’t help but marvel on how efficient and well operated it is. It gives every school child the opportunity to get to and from school in a reasonable time, even if it is in another shire.
Outside the twice daily movement of students, the system grinds to a halt. Drivers clock off, buses sit idle in the street and facilities go quiet. For everyone else there is no regular service.
Connections are poor. Significant service gaps exist between the north, south and rural areas. A lack of shelters, stops, and bus bays often makes any service in rural areas invisible. Bus stops for locals are removed from main streets making public transport choice less convenient.
Reliability is particularly bad. Timetable information is hard to find and often wrong. The ‘trip planner’ app is a major disrupter of travel plans. I have personally logged hundreds of instances of out-of-date information and unlisted ‘ghost’ services.
This approach to public transport is the marginal band-aid approach. And it’s a pretty scabby one at that. To bring our idle transport resources into a system that actually works for people requires political attention. Negotiating another band-aid through existing agencies will not heal the wound. Neither will good, but simple tonics such as switching to an E-Bus fleet.
The school bus system shows what can work. Let’s step forward with public transport as part of an integrated transport system, rather than as an isolated, marginal and disconnected system with little relevance to most people.
Our community has consistently told Council that public transport is a key issue. With this, Council has the authority to lead strongly with surrounding councils for reform and funding. With the political parties having gone to sleep on this issue, Council’s vocal leadership looks to be the best way forward.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
