In an age where Queenslanders are relying on ride shares and e-scooters, residents in one regional city can soon add the bus to the list of transport options available at their fingertips.
The coastal town of Hervey Bay, about four hours north of Brisbane, is upgrading its existing 714 Kan-go service to a Translink on-demand service, allowing residents to call a bus to pick them up nearby their house and drop them at selected locations.
"People can call up the on-demand service using an app, they can use their telephone, you can go online, whichever suits you," Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said.
"It will pick you up, and it will drop you off to where you want to go – whether it's the library, the hospital, the RSL, a whole lot of choices.
"It will only cost you $1.20 or $2.40 depending on if you got a concession [card]."
On-demand hits the regions
Hervey Bay will be the second Queensland location to incorporate the on-demand transport, after the Gold Coast introduced the service in 2022.
"These buses are a little larger [than the ones on the Gold Coast]," Mr Bailey said.
"Here in Hervey Bay, they can fit about 37 in them, whereas the ones down in the Gold Coast can fit about 18 or 19.
"They're fully accessible, so there's capacity for wheelchairs … so getting around will be so much easier in this area."
Mr Bailey said it was possible the service could expand to other regional areas.
"We'll be open-minded about other possibilities, because what we want to see it better public transport," he said.
"It means fewer cars on our roads, less congestion, less emissions."
A change of speed for Hervey Bay
A partner at the company providing technology for the on-demand service, Tim Harding, said the low-cost alternative offered a unique experience to other transport options.
"Up here there will be two buses that will be able to provide on-demand transit options for the community," Mr Harding said.
"There is the opportunity to be co-mingled with other riders on the service and have a real community feel, which of course differs from ride-sharing services and taxis."
Owner of the local Wide Bay transit company Murray Priebbenow said the service should bridge the gap to popular Hervey Bay locations.
"We've worked with TransLink to add the hospital because it's a honey pot that people need to go to and it wasn't serviced properly before," Mr Priebbenow said.
"You've still got the grocery stores, and Stockland and the RSL service."
The state government said the service will operate from 7:30am until 5:30pm in Hervey Bay from February 20.
