I have long been the noisiest in the Douglas Shire pushing for attention to the failing of our area’s public transport facilities. I had pushed and lobbied for a few years, until finally, through a comprehensive community engagement process, it was clearly revealed that what I had been saying about public transport was one of the most major issues concerning our community. As the father of kids doing the Cairns run daily, it soon became evident how unaffordable a $50-$60 bus ticket to Cairns could be for the many people without cars, especially for those without cars and wealth.
I had continually put pressure on the State and local MP Jason O’Brien, to look at the problem, often times raising it with Jason through my weekly radio broadcast.
The State responded with a ridiculously inadequate concessional service from Cooktown, just three times a week, when what we needed was not 3 services a week, but 8 services per day.
Under still more pressure, the State, aware of the growing community pressure, suggested we apply for a subsidy and $50K was immediately allocated by the DSC to match its share of the embryonic intra-shire bus service that the State was offering to assist.
I remember sitting in disgust, as on the same day Minister Fraser deemed Douglas a northern suburb of Cairns, an email came on my screen advising us that the State had rejected our application for assistance with an embryonic bus service. So on the same day as the Dept of Local Government deemed us a suburb of Cairns, the Transport Department refused us any transport help, deeming us as a satellite regional area. Yeah, right. This was indeed a category killing insult and it should be noted that the State is currently about as popular in Douglas as grub in an apple, or worse, half a grub in a half eaten apple, so we are hoping our unhappy transport predicament will soon be rectified and Jason O’Brien tells me (and our community via my radio slot) that he is pushing hard to include Douglas in transport services provided to Cairns.
The transport service we need, does not need to be door to door, visiting every Port Cochere and reception desk between Douglas and the airport. We need concessional fares for those who are young, old or entitled to a concessional card. We seek simple, regular bus stop to bus stop services, not just linking Douglas to Cairns, but linking the beach communities and dormitory areas within the shire, to the shire’s working/shopping areas.
We need to be able to get our kids down to Cairns to uni, to the cinema, but not for $50-$60 return. We need to be able to get our elders to specialist medical help. And we are not happy paying tourist bus prices. The service we need barely overlaps with the many and prolific transfer bus services for the tourism sector.
The State is critical of the region’s drink driving record, yet surely failure to provide decent public transport is an issue here, where taxi rides from say Mossman to Port Douglas are more that the cost of hiring a car for a day or two.
Inside Port Douglas, the ridiculous situation where we have two intra-Port Douglas services competing and almost hustling each other for business.  This needs resolution by one of the two companies being awarded a contract to run the service, on time and with an OK profit.

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

MOBILE: 0418 235561 or HOME: 0740 994434

MAIL: PO BOX 714, Port Douglas, 4877.