The State Liberal Government has promised to fund a trial of a weekend bus service from Pinjarra to Mandurah if re-elected at the March election.
The bus service will run between Pinjarra town centre and Centro Mandurah.
Announcing the commitment today, Treasurer Mike Nahan said a Liberal Government would commit $200,000 to run a trial of the route 600 bus service on weekends for one year.
“This makes Centro Mandurah Shopping Centre and the Murray District hospital as accessible on the weekend as during the week,” Dr Nahan said.
“Families are busy on weekdays with work and school commitments, leaving weekends for things such as hospital visits and to take advantage of seven-day trading.”
Transperth’s route 600 bus service, which operates from Mandurah station via Centro Mandurah Shopping Centre and Pinjarra Road to a terminus opposite Murray District Hospital, currently runs on weekdays but there is no weekend service.
The weekday service was introduced after a considerable amount of lobbying from the Pinjarra community and Liberal member for Murray-Wellington Murray Cowper.
Dr Nahan said Mr Cowper had continued to be a strong advocate for the bus service and had worked hard to have the service extended to weekends.
“Not everyone has easy access to private transport,” Mr Cowper said.
“Making this service available on the weekend means people in Pinjarra will get the more flexible travel options they have been asking for.”
Transperth has identified the cost to introduce a limited, two-hourly route 600 weekend bus service at approximately $200,000 per annum.
Member for Mandurah David Templeman said in 205 he was excited by proposals put forward then.
“We’ve got to be aiming high for public transport between Mandurah and Pinjarra,” he said.
“Connectivity will be crucial and I’m a big believer in light rail because it just makes sense.
“We also have to look at getting this to happen further south as well.
“We have to look at a light rail connection from Pinjarra to Mandurah Station and then light rail to Halls Head.”
Making this service available on the weekend means people in Pinjarra will get the more flexible travel options they have been asking for.”
- Murray Cowper