Community
17 July, 2024
Stop the bus here
A ONE-man campaign to try to get a bus stop relocated or a new one installed outside his retirement home at Caravonica has the support of the Queensland Government, a local councillor and MP.
Roger Hunt launched the campaign after discovering there was a bus stop outside Caravonica Waters at 15-17 Lake Placid Rd for people to catch bus 122 to the Smithfield shopping centre, but on the return journey the bus stop is 300m further north outside Kamerunga Villas at 2-6 Lake Placid Rd.
He said he was delighted with the support from the government, Mr Crawford and Cr Coghlan.
“This is most appreciated by me and the staff and residents,” Mr Hunt said.
“We have a bus stop outside this retirement village that goes north to Smithfield and ends at the university bus shelter,” he said.
“To come back from Smithfield shops, the bus won’t pull up out front of here. The bus stop is 300m further towards the city.
“What we need is a bus zone opposite our building for me and all the other poor old pensioners.
“Nearly all the residents, including me, have walking frames or walking sticks. I have drawn up two bus zone signs, that have gone up on the posts out front, hoping they will be seen by a Kinetic bus person.”
Mr Hunt, who is 81, said it was a struggle to walk back from the bus stop, particularly in wet or hot and humid weather,
He said many residents as well as staff caught the bus.
A Translink spokesman told Cairns Local News: “Translink is supportive of either a new stop or relocated stop to be installed opposite the aged care facility”.
“As Cairns Regional Council is responsible for bus stop infrastructure, we will send this request to them to investigate further,” he said.
Cr Rhonda Coghlan, whose division 8 includes Caravonica, said she supported another bus stop near the retirement village but it would need further discussions with Translink and/or the Department of Transport and Main Roads. She said she would be concerned if the current bus stop outside the villas was relocated to the detriment of those residents.
Barron River MP Craig Crawford said he was “absolutely supportive of a bus stop being located as close to aged care facilities as possible”.
He said he planned meetings with residents and other stakeholders “to make it happen”.
