The average number of passengers on two-thirds of Sunshine Coast bus services did not crack double digits during sample periods this year.
The average number of passengers on all services just scraped into double figures at 10, but 23 out of 32 services carried averages in single digits.
One bus route, the 604, which runs from Caloundra to Little Mountain and Caloundra West, averaged only one passenger per trip, although two other services run into the same area.
The 638, between Palmwoods and Nambour via Woombye, carried only a slightly better average of two.
The 620, which runs between Maroochydore station and the Noosa bus station along the coastline, topped the usage list with an average of 19 passenger per trip, and the 622, which runs between Maroochydore and Noosa Civic shopping centre, was not far behind with an average of 16 passengers.
The 600, between Caloundra and Maroochydore, the 626, between Tewantin and Sunrise Beach, and the 631, between Nambour and Noosa via Cooroy, averaged 14 passengers per trip.
The 891, between Maleny and Landsborough, the 636, from the University of the Sunshine Coast to Nambour through Buderim and Woombye, and the 603, between Little Mountain and Caloundra through Currimundi and Aroona, were among the services with the lowest patronage, with an average of three passengers per trip.
A Translink spokesperson said passenger numbers were not the sole influence on the viability of bus services.
“Public transport plays a critical role in the community by providing affordable transport options that supply access to essential services, supporting economic growth and the long-term sustainability of the region,” the spokesperson said.
“During quieter off-peak periods buses still fulfill this vital community function, helping people to get to social activities, buy groceries, attend medical appointments and connect with friends and family.”
The spokesperson said the pandemic had affected bus service and public transport usage was still down 13 per cent and recovering.
Organisation Sunshine Coast Association of Residents president Melva Hobson said it would be interesting to see if the 50-cent public transport fares recently announced by Premier Steven Miles would make a difference to public transport usage on the Sunshine Coast.
Ms Hobson said the frequency of services, accessibility and cost played a role in public transport usage.
She said she and her husband used public transport where possible but it was often not a reasonable alternative to driving.
“We were trying to help out a working holidaymaker. To get from Yaroomba to Yandina, I used journey planner and she would have had to take a bus to Noosa and then get a bus from Noosa to Eumundi, and then the advice was to catch a train,” she said.
“If you were driving from Coolum, it’s just straight across – probably 30 minutes,” she said.
Ms Hobson said a 15 to 20-minute drive from Montille to Nambour Hospital took about 40 minutes on a bus.
She said consideration should be given to smaller feeder buses to main routes, and to express buses.
“If you want people of the Sunshine Coast to use public transport it’s got to be a reasonable alternative, and for a lot of users it’s not,” she said.
The Translink spokesperson said several changes had been implemented during the past three years to improve accessibility and support population growth.
They cited the extension of the route 616 to Palmview, the realignments of the 614 and 617 routes, and timetable adjustments for the 602, 603 and 606 services.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said the organisation wanted to encourage behaviour change and the use of sustainable transport options but said a good network was needed.
“Establishing a good travel network, along with service and infrastructure improvements, is vital to our community using public transport options,” they said.
“Service frequency and reliability are also key factors to encourage more people to choose to use public transport.”
The spokesperson said the council was keen to partner with other organisations to improve services, and contributed a varying amount towards Translink each year for this purpose.
They said about $33,000 from the 2023-24 transport levy had gone towards a two-year trial of improved public transport for Ginger Factory visitors and workers, and the council would consider similar partnerships with Translink if the trial was successful.
The state government’s 50-cent public transport fare trial starts on August 5.
Translink will monitor loading on all public transport services during the trial to help inform future decisions on public transport fares and service levels.
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