Community
22 March, 2024
The bus stops here
ELDERLY members of a senior citizens group are sick of the buck-passing over a call for a bus route diversion and a new bus stop outside their Westcourt venue.
They are pleading with authorities for a bus stop opposite their Gatton St hall so they can safely get to and from the venue.
Cairns and District Senior Citizens Association president Alison Worrell said the organisation had been campaigning since November 2021 for the bus stop and a route diversion to no avail.
She said 66 per cent of their 250 members no longer held driver’s licences and needed bus transport to and from the hall.
Ms Worrell said subsidised transport, such as taxis, were always fully booked with long waiting times.
The nearest bus stop at the DFO Westcourt shopping centre was too far away (1.5km), she said.
“It’s a very difficult walk, it’s not safe and there’s no footpath on Gatton St,” she said.
Association member Carol Dalton said when the Mulgrave Rd and Brown St intersection was upgraded, the buses were diverted from Till St along Gatton St past the centre, so a precedent had been set.
“There was no bus stop but we could hail the bus. Why not make it permanent?,” she said.
LNP candidate for Cairns Yolonde Entsch said she became involved in the campaign in October last year.
It also involves a petition of more than 633 signatures.
“It’s a bus stop. I thought it won’t be that hard,” she said,
Ms Entsch said the Council of the Ageing had taken up the cause and was advocating for the route diversion and bus stop. She said the detour, from Lennon St to Till St, then Gatton St, Bosanko St, and Birch St back to English St was 1.3km and took two minutes.
It would also be to the advantage of the Mercy Place Cairns aged care home next door to the centre.
Ms Entsch said she understood all it took was a work order from the transport department to be issued to Cairns Regional Council for a $120,000 bus stop which would be built to disability standards so people in wheelchairs, walkers and other devices could easily get on the bus.
She had also been in contact with bus operator Kinetic which was unaware of the request and had told her all what was needed was approval from the transport department.
Cairns MP Michael Healy said he met association representatives two months ago and discussed several issues, including transport.
“I know they are very keen to see a bus stop in Gatton St and as a result I have written to the minister (Transport and Main Roads Minister Bart Mellish) and I have explained there is a process but that I am very supportive of what they are requesting,” he said.
“We’ve submitted it and I will talk to the transport minister and we’ll get through that process and hopefully will have a positive outcome for them,” he said
