Innovative community transport through collaborative partnership

Abstract

Problem Statement - Kenilworth is a small town, situated about 50km or 50 minutes west of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast region. It is home to approximately 300 residents who did not have access to a public transport option to access key services such as health services and specialty retail. Purpose - The relatively remote location of Kenilworth and the small population meant the provision of a public transport service was cost prohibitive and never likely to be provided by State Government. Council worked with the Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to develop a strategy to deliver a community led, volunteer run passenger transport service. The service is a success! Methodology - The Kenilworth Community Transport Service (KCTS) was launched in June 2019 as a 12-month trial. The service is run by a small group of trained volunteer drivers who transport passengers from Kenilworth to essential services such as health services, and specialty retail in Nambour, Maleny, Montville and Eumundi for a small fee of $8 per passenger round trip (to cover vehicle maintenance and fuel). The service is conducted in a Council-supplied vehicle, a 7-seat ex-fleet vehicle with low kilometres and remaining warranty, through a legally binding Deed of Agreement. The Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 regulates the establishment of a community transport service. Council and TMR worked together to establish a framework under the Act to allow volunteer drivers to operate a service to the community. Council regularly consulted with TMR to ensure the community transport service continued to comply with the Act’s definition of Community Transport Service being “a public passenger service funded out of public money or by a charity and provided for the benefit of a particular group”. The “particular group” was defined as being residents of the Kenilworth community, within 5 kilometres of the Kenilworth Post office. Through a tri-partide arrangement, the Chamber of Commerce was established as an accredited operator, training modules were drafted and delivered to the volunteer drivers to obtain accreditation, and the adoption of an operational manual manages the day-to-day operation. The service generally connects residents with drivers, to schedule trips and access essential services located in larger centres around the region. The Community has previously trialled a bus service, and Council trialled a Flexilink transport service in the Kenilworth region, which were both significantly more expensive and not viable, given the small population (and therefore patronage). The KCTS delivers a cost saving when compared with the other options and the community has embraced the service, making it their own. Lesson Learnt - Thorough consultation with the community before the commencement of the trial provided additional detail contributing to greater success. The trial was established within the definition, whereas the community has extended the radius to capture additional users, incorporating additional destinations. Success factors - A number of relatively isolated residents are regular passengers and two years on, the service is operating well and has been adjusted as learnings are applied