GET ON BOARD!
The Peninsula now has its own dedicated community bus available, making it easier to get out and about more often. Get your group together to share the journey and the destination, or join a social outing and make new friends.
Thanks to a grant from the State Government, the South Arm Peninsula Residents Association Inc (SAPRA) is now the proud owner of a 12 seater Toyota Hiace bus.
WHO CAN USE THE BUS?
Anyone or any group on the South Arm Peninsula, from Sandford to Opossum Bay!
Our bus offers members of the Peninsula community (particularly those isolated or unable to drive) an easier, local transport service to travel for appointments, shopping, socialising and mixing with and/or sharing common interests with others.
It also offers special interest or social groups the chance to visit places and enjoy the chance to leave the driving (and parking!) to someone else!
Don’t have your own group? Join a social outing and meet your community! Social outings are advertised on Facebook through the SAPRA and Community Centre pages. Alternatively, if you’d like to hear about the dates and destinations via email or text each month, email communitybus@southarm.tas.au or phone 0419 339 415.
ENQUIRIES:
communitybus@southarm.tas.au
P: 0419 339 415
WHAT FOR? WHERE TO?
Here’s a few suggestions:
- Go Gardening –Botanical, Inverawe and Bushland
- Cultural Catchup – MONA, TMAG, galleries, movies or theatre
- Walk or bike a new trail – kunyani/Mt Wellington,
- Visit a Valley – Huon, Derwent, or Coal River
- Ladies who Lunch – so many choices!
- Men who Meet – Sheds, coffee,
- Tee off or Take a Mark – golf or footy games
- Therapy – of the retail kind!
- Appointments – get them done in a day!
- Go as a group – to training and meetings
- Your ideas and needs - get in touch to discuss other ways our bus can assist you.
Note the bus has a towbar, conditions apply if trailers are used.
BEHIND THE WHEEL – GROUPS
Some groups will have their own SAPRA registered driver, others will need a Volunteer Registered Driver provided by SAPRA.
Each group will also require a nominated responsible person for the trip(s) which may be their Volunteer Driver or another passenger who is designated to liaise with the Bus Co-ordinator for bookings.
COST
The Community Bus is being operated as a service on a user pays cost recovery basis making it a very affordable transport option.
"It was so enjoyable to travel as a group - laughs aplenty on the road together!"
"I couldn't have enjoyed a wonderful Probus excursion without local bus transport to the pickup point."
THE SAPRA BUS PROJECT
SAPRA was in a community bus partnership with the Risdon Vale and Warrane/Mornington Neighbourhood Centres and Risdon Vale Family Church from 2011 to 2020. With the bus garaged at Risdon Vale making the day a very long for our volunteer drivers plus limited availability time came for us South Armians to hit the road alone!
In mid 2020, Nic Street MP met with SAPRA and the Men’s shed to get an update on all our activities. As Nic and the SAPRA President, Kerry Scambler, sat chatting in the garden, the topic of a local community bus was discussed. Whilst work had been done behind the scenes for many months by bus and SAPRA volunteers, it was looking impossible to purchase a bus with no community transport funding avenues readily available.
Fast forward to June 2021 and the conversation in the Community Garden bore fruit! A grant was finally approved for the purchase of our community bus and the next challenge began - sourcing a vehicle in a market signifcantly impacted by the pandemic.
Finally our sparkling beautiful bus arrived from South Australia in January and, after a thorough accreditation process, SAPRA was approved to operate a registered passenger vehicle. The South Arm Community Bus is now out and about and looking for even more passengers to get on board!