NT remote Indigenous bus service reduces routes after funding cut
A bus service that has transported people and critical medical supplies to remote Indigenous communities from Alice Springs for three decades has been forced to reduce its services following a funding cut earlier this year.
The remote Indigenous bus service operated by Centre Bush Bus is reducing its routes due to a funding cut from the Northern Territory government. The service, which has been running for three decades, provides critical transportation for residents in remote communities, including medical supplies and goods. The affected routes include Santa Teresa, Atitjere-Engawala, Willowra, Hermannsberg-Areyonga, and Titjikala-Finke.
Centre Bush Bus owner Tahnee Passmore-Barns said the organization has been operating at a loss since funding was stopped and they are now considering canceling the routes altogether. Local Aboriginal organizations and politicians have called for the service's funding to be reinstated, citing health, safety, and overcrowding concerns.
The NT government has stated that the service missed out on funding because its costs were not comparable to other services in the Territory. The Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan said the service did receive a one-off grant of $667,000 for the summer period, but it would cost around $1.6 million to service the nine communities for a full year.
Labor member for the remote electorate of Gwoja Chansey Paech described the government's decision as a "pathetic excuse" and questioned why remote communities should not be treated equally to those in Darwin and Alice Springs.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
