Our Bagala Remote Community Bus project was launched earlier this year to give people from Barunga and Beswick an affordable way to travel between the two communities (about 40km apart) and into Katherine (about 80km).
Can you believe that before the bus service was launched, people were paying up to $250 one way in a taxi to get from Beswick to Katherine?! Now people can get into Katherine and back from both Barunga and Beswick for $50 three days a week – and its popular!
Funded by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, the Bagala Remote Community Bus is classified as public transport and as such must have all the checks and balances of any public transport. Our little nine seater bus has the same regulations as the Greyhound buses or Darwin Buses, and one of those regulations is an H Endorsement licence for all the drivers which permits them to drive a commercial vehicle. Its not an easy licence to get and finding eligible drivers has posed a significant challenge for the project.
Gregory Jackson was one of the first people to put up his hand up to drive the Bagala Bus when the project was being formed. He’s attended all the training and persevered with the administration heavy process of getting his H Endorsement licence, and we are very pleased to announce that he has passed! Soon he’ll be joining the other drivers from Beswick and Barunga taking passengers around their region six days a week. Congratulations Gregory and welcome aboard.
