A new trial bus service will be introduced from April 1 taking community members from Dardanup and Burekup to Eaton.
The three-month trial will provide a single return trip on Tuesday’s and Saturday’s in order to determine the demand and will be subsidised by the Shire of Dardanup.
Shire of Dardanup chief executive Mark Chester said funding the trial period was considered by council as a worthwhile undertaking and possibly the best way of gauging the true level of community support for the service.
“We want to make all areas of the Shire accessible and inclusive to all as well desirable places to live,” he said.
“Regular public transport for people living in our more rural areas would go a long way towards achieving these objectives.”
The project will cost $13,000 and will provide residents from rural areas of the Shire with a morning arrival in the Eaton CBD and afternoon return.
At its meeting last week, Council agreed to contract the Public Transport Authority to provide the service for the trial period.
If passenger numbers indicate demand for the service during the trial, the Shire of Dardanup will then lobby TransWA to fund a permanent service.
Community interest for a rural bus service into Eaton was listed among feedback received during last year’s six-week community consultation process undertaken by the Shire.