Business
19 February, 2025
Local business ready to deliver a new school bus service
Following the success of a smaller bus service, Mount Isa Coaches is ready to ramp up if required.
The operator of the new Mount Isa State Special School bus service believes there is overwhelming community support for a broader school transport option in the city.
Mount Isa Coaches director Michelle Valinoti said the special school bus service had exceeded expectations by doubling its number of passengers within a fortnight of commencing.
She said the two-hour weekday bus run collected special school students from their individual homes each morning and dropped them at their front door in the afternoon.
Ms Valinoti said the biggest challenge of the service was updating the schedule every day to meet the changing needs of the passengers.
“I might receive a text or email in the morning saying that a child is sick today and so we have to account for that,” she explained.
“But it has been really good to see the unexpected uptake of the service. Some parents just didn’t have lots of options until we came along – I think they were often relying on taxis.”
Ms Valinoti said she did not believe there would be significant logistical hurdles to establishing a regular bus service that travelled to other schools across the city.
“The (special school) bus service we are operating now is a lot more complex because we travel to each child’s home,” she said.
“I think a bus service to other schools would just require regular pick up and drop off spots. We would just work with council and schools to create a route that everyone could agree on.”
As previously reported, Mount Isa Educational Precinct is undertaking a survey across all state schools in the city to gauge community support for a regular bus service.
The survey has been prompted by indications from officials at the Department of Transport and Main Roads that it is willing to investigate the viability of funding a local service.
Ms Valinoti said establishing a regular school bus service had been an often discussed need among families in the city.
“In a city like Mount Isa we should not have our kids walking for kilometres in the heat to get to school,” she told North West Weekly.
“I would like to see the government step in and join forces with the community to get a bus service for the kids up and running.”
The Mount Isa Educational Precinct is looking for people to fill out its online survey at https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/n/aMjhQEV.