Surf Coaster shuttle cost $60 per passenger

A SURF Coast Shire evaluation of the Surf Coaster shuttle has found the bus service had an overall cost of just over $60 per rider but could still be considered a success, meeting all nine of its objectives.

The council resolved on December 8 to establish the Surf Coaster service by Boxing Day, and the free shuttle ran on a 13-stop loop around Torquay and Jan Juc for the next 32 consecutive days.

Councillors received an evaluation report about the Surf Coaster at their meeting on Tuesday this week.

The report notes 772 riders (average of 23 per day) used the service between 10am-6pm, with the initiative costing $46,877 (85 per cent of the total budget) and equating to an overall cost per rider of $60.72.

It notes nine objectives were set for the service and “all nine were met with the exception of the overall number of riders achieved and the average loop time (35 minutes)”.

“Influencing factors include the impacts of COVID-19, reduced desire to use public transport (route 51/50 were down 20 per cent patronage) and the unseasonably cooler weather (only three hot days).”

There was some public criticism at the time about McHarry’s Buslines being appointed to run the Surf Coaster buses instead of a Torquay operator such as Wave Rider and the report acknowledges this, “despite overall positive response to the initiative, social media comments were overwhelmingly negative”.

“As the shuttle bus operator was required to be engaged as a matter of urgency it was determined that McHarry’s Buslines provided the only viable opportunity for officers to activate this service safely, properly and effectively,” the report states.

“Officers’ dilemma was a choice between establishing the service in time for December 26 with the contracted public transport service provider for the Torquay Jan Juc area (McHarry’s) or potentially not at all.”

Wave Rider disagreed with the shire’s stance in December and still disagrees now.

“A simple email or phone call would have taken no time to give us an opportunity for the task required,” Wave Rider’s Shaun Phillips said earlier this week.

“We would have done a better job. The 13 stops only serviced a third of Torquay – no key areas such as North Torquay, the Wyndham or The Sands areas.

‘Wave Rider also has drivers that live in the Torquay area.”

He said most people needed a shuttle bus service at night when they went out to dinner or the pub.

“Having the Surf Coaster finish at 6pm was another failure to the businesses that needed clientele to frequent the local restaurants and venues.”