Bus services review project

Its key outcomes included:

• The review and redesign of all our publicly-contracted bus services;
• The development of new contracts and more efficient funding models, in close consultation with industry;
• Successful negotiation of long-term contracts with 106 school bus operators and eight general access operators across Tasmania. These cover over 349 school bus services and 17 general access bus services;
• Review of all the routes and schedules for these services, and implementation of extensive network changes and new timetables across the South and North of the state, with the North West rollout postponed to 2021, due to COVID;
• Extensive consultation with bus operators, stakeholders, and the public;
• The provision of financial assistance for those operators exiting the industry;
• Installation of new bus stop infrastructure to support the new networks; and
• The implementation of an interim common ticketing solution across general access operators.

The project also delivered the Government’s election commitment to provide a further 5 + 5 year contract for existing bus operators provided they meet key performance conditions and there is an ongoing need for the service.

This commitment was delivered under an approved alternative procurement process using a set of guidelines to match operators to services. These guidelines are outlined in the Bus Services Re-Contracting Process Guidelines.