If public transport between Douglas Shire and Cairns is to become a reality, it needs the support of the local state MP.

That is what local man David Haratsis was told by an official from Translink, the state government agency which oversees public transport.

Mr Haratsis has recently started campaigning for a proper public bus service and daily timetable between Douglas and Cairns.

“A regular, scheduled bus service along the Captain Cook Highway will increase the pool of workers for the far north, and provide transport for university students to Cairns from Port Douglas/Mossman,” Mr Haratsis’ Facebook page, TransPORT says.

Since Newsport published a story on the Facebook campaign recently, there has been further public support for starting up regular public transport.

After one of his posts calling on the local state member to show her backing for the campaign, he received a call from someone from Translink, an agency under the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

“He did suggest that the only way really to push this, is to go via the electorate office, that is of Cynthia Lui,”Mr Haratsis said.

“I guess what we’re waiting to see is her showing her hand.”

The state member would not commit to any public statements about Mr Haratsis and his TransPORT page, her office only saying that Ms Lui would be “taking up representations” about the region’s public transport issues to the office of the Minister, Mark Bailey.

Mr Haratsis is waiting also on an ‘official’ report on public transport in Douglas from his new contact in Translink, stating why in their view, regular scheduled public transport is “not needed” at this point.

One reason he was given verbally was that there is already a service. There is one (a bus), but it is just one service each way between Cairns and Cooktown on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only, run by Trans North.

The other reason was distance between towns – to which Mr Haratsis responded that distance is all the more reason why regional areas like Douglas should not be precluded from regular public transport services.