Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

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1whoknows
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Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by 1whoknows »

Two more operators have left the industry.

Sainty's North East Coaches sold their Launceston based stage services, school and charter business to Kinetic/ Redline effective from 1 February 2022- the sale having been announced in late 2021.

Roberts Coaches of Huonville have sold their Huon Valley to Hobart schools services to Coal Valley Coaches, also effective from term 1 of 2022.

Metro's 900 series Bustech XDi units have entered service and are said to be capable of future conversion to zero emissions.

New express services commenced between Hobart and the Derwent Channel towns from 31 January.

Operators are concerned at the proliferation of fruit picker buses in certain areas some of which appear to be run by labor hire firms rather than accredited bus operators.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by Busnut704 »

Yeah sad but most private can't keep up with the running costs and fuel prices at the moment. On another note as mentioned buses 900-905 seen in service.
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Admet75
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by Admet75 »

Thanks for the update especially about Sainty's bus service.

My last memories of Sainty's was when I lived with my mother and step father in Branxholm (North East Tassie)- the town is between Scottsdale and Derby in from September 2008 to January 2009.
A little bit about Branxholm.
The population of Branxholm is around 260 people, its a little town but has an IGA, pub (Imperial Hotel- which is large), service station, outdoor swimming pool, had a school (which closed down in 2009), it also had a Post Office (closed down in 2009). The post office was known to be breaching privacy of residents and occassionally opening up mail to see what residents got as Christmas Presents etc. There were no letterboxes so residents needed to go down the post office each day to get a mail out a enforced Australia Post mailbox which only Post Office Employees would open and would be behind a counter.

Anyway, the bus service was great I thought for one single reason. That to get to Scottsdale which had around over 2,000 residents where Branxholm residents would go for doctors appointments, hospital appointments or going to Woolworths, or Chicken Feed (ie. Tassie name for Reject Shop) or they would go to Retrovision (which closed a couple of years ago). It had a library.

The reality is that many Tassie residents didn't have access to the Internet nor did many of the ageing population know really how to use it. My parents didn't know how to use a computer or the Internet so I went every second day to the Online Access Centres- the Tassie Government provided these free of charge for Centrelink reciepients and non Centrelink ones paid around $1.00 per hour plus say 10 cents for printing or 5 cents per page if it was more than 10 pages.

Sainty's bus driver Peter lived across the road from my parents at Branxholm he would drive his car early in the morning to park his car at the depot at Derby and leave it there till around Friday night at other times he would bring the Toyota Coaster Mini bus and park it at his house. Pete mentioned the only fear of leaving the car at Derby Depot was that animals might leave there dropping on the roof.

The bus service operated from Derby to Lanceston via Branxholm and Scottsdale- some buses would divert to Ringarooma. It operated three times a day on weekday and would leave Derby at around 7:30am and get to Branxhom at 8:30am and get to Scottdale at 9:00am. It would get to Launceston around 10:30am. The return journey was departing at around 3:30pm at Lanceston got to Scottdale at 4:45pm and arrive at Branxholm at around 5:25pm. On Saturdays there was only two return servces and one return service on Sunday.

It should be noted many students used it to get to University or where they were staying in Launceston due to their study requirements. One student I knew lived with her parents at Scottsdale and would leave on the Sunday and return on the Friday and then spend the weekend with her parents and go back to Launceston on the Sunday.

Fares were quite reasonable I only paid around $4.50 for a one way trip from Branxholm to Scottdale.

However, I felt sorry for Sainty's when the Tassie Government decided to standardize their printed timetable design and left off Branxholm not only as a timepoint but also on the map. I contacted Sainty's and they said numerous locals thought the bus service at Branxholm had been cancelled and used other means to get to Launceston and Scottdale (one would assume being picked up or driving the notorious Tasman Highway- taxi fares would be very expensive).

Eventually the Tassie Government reprinted the timetable to show Braxholm as a timepoint but this was sadly too late because within a few months Sainty's got brought out by Kinetic.

The ultimate demise of Sainty's reminded me of a country town loosing its small business family. Pete the bus driver last I heard has been employed by Kinetic he says he misses the old Sainty's for the way they treated their employees and the family run business it was. The reality is that a big company like Kinetic cannot really be a family run business.

However, this aside the town of Braxholm survives with its sawmill still intact and hops it grows for beer sprouting nice colours in spring as for how much patronage Kinetic will get on the Launceston to Derby route is anybody's question but also given that the rail service was withdrawn many years ago even the train service was slow because of the steep gradients plus also windy track meant trains could not really go fast.

Lets see what the future holds these are my thoughts what do you think?
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by 1whoknows »

Calows have expanded again, taking over the Bagdad PS local service from Paul Creed with one Mercedes bus.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

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Update on Metro buses buses 900 - 907 seen on the road out and about in Hobart and also seen Launceston's 308 too out and about. ex Burnie's 204 205 206 are seen also in Hobart lately.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by 1whoknows »

And it seems there will be no more Bustechs to come now if the current goss is correct.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

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Yes i seen 908 is on the road as well as seen 909 on road test.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

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Yes - the contract was partially reinstated several months after my previous post.
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Re: Tasmanian Bus Observations 2022

Post by Busnut704 »

Bus 910 i seen in sick bay
Last edited by Busnut704 on Wed Jan 11, 2023 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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