2022-12-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                6 DECEMBER 2022


REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide an evaluation of the Free Weekend Buses trial to date
and to endorse the funding from the Sustainable Transport Levy for an extension of the Free
Weekend Bus services for a further 12-months, subject to Translink approval.
1.      Background
At the November 2021 Ordinary Meeting, Council approved the trial of Free Weekend Buses
on Translink routes 626, 627, 628, 629 and 632. Council entered into an agreement with
Translink with the 12-month trial commencing on 12 February 2022 at a cost of $174,982. The
purpose of the trial was to encourage residents, visitors, and workers to use public transport
during peak weekend periods, as well as encouraging public transport use back to pre-Covid
levels. The Free Weekend Buses trial is an extension of the Go Noosa Christmas & Easter free
bus services.
2.      Free Buses Patronage
The Free Weekend Bus trial has successfully encouraged bus use. There has been an increase
in weekend bus patronage in 2022 compared to 2021 for every month of the trial except
February 2022 which was during a Covid wave in Queensland as well as an extreme flood event
in Noosa Shire.
Refer table below for comparison of 2021 and 2022 weekend patronage on routes 626, 627,
628, 629, 632.

    Comparison of 2021 and 2022 weekend patronage on routes 626, 627, 628, 629, 632.

    Month                2021 Weekend Patronage –      2022          Weekend    Percentage change
                         no free weekend buses other   Patronage     -   free
                         than the Free 2021 Easter     weekend         buses
                         holiday buses only.           including 2022 Easter
                                                       Holiday buses

    February             9,348                         7,605                    -19%
    March                8,783                         11,946                   36%
    April (Easter)       14,718                        19,723                   34%
    May                  9,741                         11,516                   18%
    June                 8,042                         11,519                   43%
    July                 8,598                         16,150                   88%
    August               6,057                         14,353                   137%
    September            7,165                         15,526                   117%
    Total Passengers     72,452                        108,338                  50%
In addition to significant increases in bus patronage in 2022 to 2021, patronage exceeded that
of pre-Covid patronage levels in 5 out of the above 8 months on routes 626, 627, 628, 629 and
632.
3.      Free Weekend Buses Feedback
Feedback on the free weekend buses trial was received via social media, face-to-face surveys,
and stakeholder engagement.
The majority of feedback was highly positive with strong support for the free weekend buses to
continue.
Negative feedback related primarily to Council being restricted to not being able to provide a
free bus service to Peregian Beach due to the existing Translink route 620 travelling outside of
the Noosa Shire.
184 people completed a quick poll on Instagram with the following results:
•       96% of respondents believed Noosa should be a place where catching free buses is


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