Page 29 - Tropic Magazine Issue 31

TROPIC • SPECIAL FEATURE

DEPARTURE DEPARTURE
CITY FRINGE INNER NORTH-WEST
Public transport users with young daycare child
2.3% Route would have been Route Bus 131, change at

Lake Street to Bus 140 (Edge Hill
Bus 123 (from Manoora to to Parramatta Park)
Brinsmead), then back onto Cost $3
CAIRNS COMMUTERS Bus 123 to Parramatta Park How long it took About 55min

74.4% Private car Cost Unknown Travel time in a private car 10min
How long it would have taken (or 15min on a bad day!)
2.3% Public transport 3+hours
Travel time in a private car 35min, I left home at 7.35am. The hail and ride
5.2% Cycle or walk pick-up point was only a one-minute
including the daycare dropoff
3.9% Work at home walk from my house, however there
I decided this was too hard and too was no marking for the bus stop so I
Source: 2016 Census, Australian wasn’t sure I was going to get picked
Bureau of Statistics time-consuming. The journey also
would have involved more than 30 up. Alas, the bus arrived on time and I
minutes of walking with a toddler. was greeted by a friendly and helpful
I don’t know how parents without driver. With a paper ticket in hand, I
cars do it. Imagine what it’s like in found a seat on the bus, which was
the summer heat! overwhelmingly scattered with school
kids, one per seat.
DEPARTURE The journey to Lake St was pleasant.
CITY FRINGE Being the biggest bus stop in the city,

it’s well maintained and surrounded
Route Bus 133/change at DFO warning that both buses were with tropical plants. I checked the
Westcourt to Bus 141 (Mooroobool “cashless payments only”. I dug out digital sign to see how far off my bus
to Parramatta Park) the trusty Go Card that I keep for was, however it wasn’t working.
Cost Free for the first trip because of Brisbane trips, topped up my credit 13 minutes had passed, and I thought
confusion over payment, $2.40 for the and set off. I had missed it. I began searching
second bus High school students were seated on alternative services when the bus
How long it took 60min the bench seat whilst others stood pulled in 10 minutes late. This was
Travel time in a private car 9min waiting, and I wondered if this was a made up for by the lovely driver and
courtesy that was still taught. we had a good chat on the way to
Scenic. Frustrating. Time consuming. Bus 131 arrived on time (yay!) and I Tropic HQ.
I am very fortunate to live 5.1km from tapped my Go Card on the machine to
where I work – around nine minutes be told that “they don’t actually work
by car. Translink suggested four in Cairns.” The verdict
different routes with ranging trip Bus 133 snakes it way through
times of 40-56 minutes. Three routes seven (!!!) suburbs, zigzagging and Until there are more options
required a change of bus and most backtracking a painstakingly slow or better bus routes, none
required walks of over a kilometre via trip. We stopped 11 times before of us will be catching public
“sections not suited for walking.” reaching DFO Westcourt. Bus 141 transport on a regular basis
The route I chose came with a arrived on time.

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29 • tropicnow.com.au