1. With regard to the current passenger transport service that replaced the former Redline bus service from Burnie to Hobart, what provisions have been made to assist persons with a mobility or other relevant disability to manage the required transfer between three different services this service now requires, including:

  a. Assistance with changing buses;
  b. Assistance with luggage that is required to be stored in the storage lockers under the bus; and
  c. The need for passengers to purchase three different bus tickets to complete the journey?

ANSWER:
1.
  a. All Government contracted bus services in Tasmania must comply with operational guidelines relating to passenger assistance.

 Guidelines require that drivers provide reasonable assistance to passengers to embark and disembark safely, which may include deploying a ramp, lowering the bus, using a wheelchair lift, or helping with other mobility devices     like walkers.

 b. At designated interchanges, such as those used by intercity buses in Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and Hobart, this assistance extends to assisting passengers to handle and store luggage.

 c. Passengers travelling between Burnie and Hobart need to purchase two tickets. Tickets between Devonport and Hobart can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person at the Hobart Transit Centre or the Devonport       Visitor and Information Centre. Tickets between Burnie and Devonport can be purchased on board using cash or a smartcard.

 Splitting what was once a continuous journey from Burnie to Launceston into two trips interchanging in Devonport has allowed significantly higher service frequency, delivering passengers greater flexibility.