Transport debate heats up on social media as campaigner David Haratsis calls for a trial regular bus service

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

David Gardiner

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A local man campaigning for public transport services between Port Douglas and Cairns says it should be given a 12 month trial period to assess its popularity. Picture: Submitted

Port Douglas public transport campaigner David Haratsis says the best way to prove if there is or isn’t a need for a daily, regular public bus service in the region is to run a trial service for a year.

Mr Haratsis has been at the centre of a fiery social media debate with local state MP Cynthia Lui about the need for a regular bus service between the Douglas Shire and Cairns.

Since Newsport first published articles about the debate some weeks ago, media and social media exchanges on the public transport issue have heated up.

Played out on Mr Haratsis’s Facebook page Public TransPORT, the debate has led to a flat answer from the state government: there are currently no plans for such a service.

“Opportunities for additional services between Cairns and Port Douglas or Mossman have been investigated and there are currently no plans to introduce an urban bus route in this region,” a Translink spokesperson said.

Mr Haratsis has not given in and is now calling for the State Government to commit to running a trial service.

“Despite what they say in terms of costs, the infrastructure exists,” he told Newsport.

“You have bus stops everywhere in this region; they’re used by school buses.

“Okay there’s the cost of fuel, but you can’t get around that – it doesn’t matter whether you’re running a bus or a local taxi or whatever, fuel is fuel, you’ve got to pay for it every day.

“I really think you could run a 12-month trial, have it at a two-hourly interval – it doesn’t need to be every 10 minutes, just have something that’s reasonable that allows people to go to one place and return within a decent period of time, and assess demand from that.”

He said he believes such a trial bus service would have widespread community support, and help hospitality and tourism workers to get to work and back, as well as students needing to go to Cairns for study.

“I think it would be a whole lot cheaper than engaging an expensive consultant to draw out some report that inevitably would be tailored to whatever the government wants to hear.”

State govt yet to be convinced about bus service need

State Transport Minister Mark Bailey has also responded to the debate, and has clearly also ruled out a regular bus service in the near future.

“My department advises long-distance coaches are the best fit for travel between Port Douglas, Mossman and Cairns, which is why we heavily subsidise their operation,” Mr Bailey said in a statement to Newsport.

“I will continue to take the advice of the experts when it comes to investing public funds in an urban bus service, which would be in direct competition with existing mum and dad operators in the area,” he said.

There is only one, infrequent public bus service through the Douglas area, operated by Trans North – a single, return coach service each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from Cairns to Cooktown at a subsidised rate.

Mr Haratsis said the state government seems to think this is adequate to serve public transport needs.

“If people from Port Douglas wish to use the thrice weekly service to travel to Mossman, which must be booked by phone to secure a seat, they can depart from Port Douglas at 7.45am on a Tuesday, Thursday or
Saturday and arrive in Mossman, 15 km away, in 5 minutes – according to the timetable – which equates to a speed of 180km/h!” he said.

“They must stay in Mossman for nine hours until the return journey departs, this time taking a more sedate 15 minutes to reach Port Douglas.

“However, if people in Mossman wish to visit Port Douglas, again only 15km away, they must depart at 4.45pm on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, and remain in Port Douglas for a minimum of two nights, paying high season accommodation prices, if they can find a room, in order to make the return journey.”

Haratsis vs Lui debate continues

Mr Haratsis said Ms Lui has not listened to her constituents’ demands for a regular public bus service.

The Member for Cook said in a statement to Newsport that “Translink will continue to monitor demand, population changes and settlement patterns to ensure the service offerings remain appropriate.

“As the demographic of the area changes, of course the transport options may need to shift, but we are not yet at that point,” Ms Lui said.

“Above all else, the Palaszczuk Labor Government must ensure taxpayer money is being used to deliver the best outcomes for the community, and delivering a bus service for one vocal person is not that.”

Mr Haratsis said he objected to being singled out.

“For Ms Lui to say that delivering this bus service ‘for one vocal person’ – being me – is not a good outcome for the community is so disingenuous, ignorant, and disrespectful towards every other one of her constituents in this area who continue to advocate for this service, that she ought to reconsider her advisors’ positions, or reconsider her own,” he said.

“To belittle one of her own constituents for having an idea with merit, is shameful. Instead of taking aim at me, how about she provide a considered, cogent argument against such a service?”.

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