Shuttle bus hits a snag
PLANS to launch a city loop shuttle bus to stave off CBD parking issues have fallen flat after experts warned the idea did not stack up financially.
Cairns Regional Councillors met with engineering consultancy firm Arup yesterday after a study into the proposal, which also investigated driverless buses.
The diagnosis was dire but not terminal, and councillors have not given up on one day establishing the service.
Infrastructure committee chairman Cr John Schilling agreed with the experts that Cairns was not ready to spend millions on shuttle coaches when existing bus services were under-used.
“At this point in the growth of the city and given consideration to costs, it would be very hard to make it worthwhile,” Cr Schilling said. “We could start off very small but the problem is that you have to start off at a certain standard or you are dooming it from the start.”
Several scenarios were considered, including a system where CBD commuters could park their car somewhere like Barlow Park in the morning and catch a shuttle to work.
Cr Schilling said current city-centre parking prices were too cheap to provide a disincentive for drivers to take that option, especially given the region’s climatic volatility in summer months. Division 5 Cr Richie Bates argued the plan should start now with two shuttle buses running up and down the length of Lake Street.
“Even if the take-up is not as good as we’d like it right now, we would be planting the seed for the future,” he said.
“If we just keep feeding the private vehicle culture we will get to the point when we need it and people just say no.
“Even if it’s a trial, there are ways of subsidising this.
“We’re spending $5 million to upgrade the Lake St carpark and not getting any more parks – just a makeover.
“A simple shuttle bus service per annum would probably be in the order of $1 million.”
AT THIS POINT IN THE GROWTH OF THE CITY AND GIVEN CONSIDERATION TO COSTS, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE
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