A new bus service for local young people has been launched in the City of Wyndham. Located midway between Melbourne and Geelong, public transport is a key issue for Wyndham.
Running from 9pm to 1.30am on Friday and Saturday nights, it will pick teenagers up at popular locations around the City and drop them off at the end of their street.
“Having a free bus especially for Wyndham youth will be terrific and a great community resource,” said Mayor Peter Hawkins. “It is one way to tackle the lack of public transport in the area and ensure our local youth get home safely at night. I hope that it will be so successful we will have to put on more buses to cope with the demand.”
Council has funded the youth bus project on a trial basis for 12 months, at a cost of $34,000. Community volunteers will drive the bus and a Shield Security officer will accompany drivers free of charge for the duration of the pilot.
This project has been developed as part of the Wyndham Community Safety Plan, with the Wyndham Safety Committee instrumental in initiating the project, which is coordinated by Council. The youth bus concept arose after the Committee looked at the results of its safety surveys, that showed young people tended to get into trouble late at night, after finding it difficult to get home once local bus services stop at about 7pm.
“I would like to thank all the volunteers who are willing to give up their time to provide this service for our youth,” Councillor Hawkins said. “This is a project that needs community support and without the volunteer bus drivers, the project would not have got off the ground.”
