We are excited to have secured another three years of funding for the Bagala Remote Community Bus.
The nine-seater bus travels five days a week between Barunga and Beswick (40km apart) and Katherine (about 80km) and was designed to provide residents of Barunga and Beswick with an affordable way to travel.
Unbelievably, before the bus service was launched in 2021, residents had to pay up to $250 one way in a taxi to get to Katherine from Beswick.
The Bagala Bus has tickets priced at $30 one way or $60 return, essentially saving the community over $109,000 each year – money that would otherwise have been spent on expensive taxi fares. You can see why the bus service is so popular and why it was imperative for AIG to secure these funds on behalf of the Bagala Aboriginal Corporation, such that the bus can continue to operate.
Filling the gap
AIG prides itself on meeting demand and filling gaps in service provisions for Aboriginal communities across the seven northern regions of the Northern Territory. The Bagala Remote Community Bus is just one of our successful, solutions-based outcomes which we are extremely proud of.
The project is owned and managed by the Bagala Aboriginal Corporation with assistance from AIG. The bus also provides employment opportunities for locals. Profits from the sale of tickets will be reinvested for the sustainability of the bus service.
“We believe to achieve economic autonomy, Aboriginal people must be running their own businesses, employing locals and being strategic about how to make money while living on country,” AIG CEO Liz Morgan-Brett said.
Gregory Jackson was one of the first people to put up his hand to drive the Bagala Bus when the project was being formed and has now been driving the bus for two years, often as the sole driver, keeping the wheels turning five days a week.
“It keeps me busy and on my toes most of the day. It’s a good job and I love it,” Gregory said.
Breaking down barriers
The importance of the bus goes beyond economics. The service is highly regarded by community members and provides vital access to health and follow-up support services in Katherine.
“Accessing outpatient and specialist health services greatly compliments the in-community services we provide, and vastly improves whole-of-life outcomes for our patients,” Sunrise Health Service CEO Rebecca Bond said.
The service is being noticed outside of the community too, with Member for Arnhem Selena Uibo MLA recently commenting: “The Bagala Remote Community Bus service helps to reduce the barriers that arise from living outside one of the Territory’s main town centres. The bus service’s success is the community’s shared success.”
We are looking forward to the next three years and the positive outcomes that continue to flow from the bus project.
For more information
Visit the Bagala Bus Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bagalabus
