Use it or you could lose it. That's the prospect employees at Crestmead Industrial Estate face, in regard to a shared bus service offering affordable and reliable transport to work.
The Crestmead Joblift service was established in 2006 through a partnership between Logan City Council and the state government. The aim of the service is to provide employees with a reliable and affordable way of getting to work in an area where public transport is not available in the early hours of the morning.
The state government's Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation under the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $80,000 funding for the Crestmead Joblift service.
Logan City Council had hoped the initiative would become service sustainable once state government funding ceased, but a drop-off in usage could put the brakes on the service.
Only two employees at the Crestmead industrial estate currently use the bus service. Health, Sport and Community Services Committee Chairperson, Councillor Phil Pidgeon (Division 9) said it would be a great loss to the employees of the estate service ceased.
"This service is filling the public transport void of the 4,000 Crestmead Industrial estate employees," he said.
"Workers residing outside of local pick up suburbs in Logan can be collected via this service from major transport hubs including Logan’s railway and bus stations and I hope that more workers will utilise this valuable service in the future so it isn't lost."
Shailer Park resident Jesse Brown said he relies on the service for his daily transport to work.
"What this service represents to me is peace of mind, in that I know I have a reliable means of getting to work every day," he said.
"The affordability of the service is a major plus for me as well, especially with fuel costs on the rise."
For new employees the Crestmead Joblift Service costs $3 per trip for the first three months. Following this, the service costs $5 per trip or $20 prepaid contribution for a week.
To register for the Crestmead Joblift service call 3422 7900 or visit www.lands.org.au