Denmark community bus concept back on the road

The Denmark Community Bus Service trial is set to finally roll out and hit the road next year.

Earlier this year, a volunteer community group submitted a proposal to hire a bus from the Shire of Denmark, but the Shire denied the request as it planned to sell the bus because of its poor condition.

The volunteers wanted to fill a gap left by the closure of the town’s taxi service.

Chris Lendrum, the main driver of the project, said he was very happy to have the service trial back on track, with a suitable vehicle provided from within the group, together with seed funding.

“The loss of the promised vehicle that was to be used to conduct the trial (in August) came as a surprise to the group and left us no alternative but to cancel the trial,” he said.

“To say that many were amazed by such an action on the part of others from within the community would be an understatement.

“However, many within and about Denmark have expressed their desire for the group to continue the initiative, and further meetings have been held to this end.”

With a bus now organised, members of the group decided to conduct another service trial, starting on February 10 next year.

Initially, the trial will operate a service from Denmark to Albany four days a week and comprise two return trips a day.

It is hoped this service will also provide the means by which tourists and others from Albany can visit Denmark and its surroundings.

“The morning service will leave Denmark at a time to permit a link-up with that of the Albany to Perth service by Transperth and leave Albany from the information centre at 9.30am for the return run to Denmark,” Mr Lendrum said.

“The afternoon service back to Albany will depart Denmark at 4pm from the information centre in Albany returning from there to Denmark at 5pm.

“It is proposed that bus service trials around and within Denmark will be conducted during the hours the bus is back in Denmark,” Mr Lendrum said.

“On those days the Albany run is not scheduled to operate, for example, trips to Ocean Beach and Greens Pool.”