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Announcement of Cessation of Passenger Transport Services by Tennant Creek Transport. On Behalf of the Management Committee of Tennant Creek Transport – I would like to regretfully announce that: Tennant Creek Transport will cease all operation of Passenger Transport Services as of the 30th June 2024. The Reasons are as follows · Inability to recruit and retain suitably qualified and H endorsed Drivers to maintain reliable and consistent services. This has been an ongoing issue since we started but has now become the most critical factor in our decision. · Maintaining our Fleet. Since COVID, getting parts delivered to TC is taking weeks. Mechanical Services are few and require booking ahead. Other services such as Panel Beating require Buses to be sent to Alice Springs – these factors make it extremely difficult when our fleet is so small. Our buses do a lot of kilometers each week so require constant maintenance and repairs. The costs of these are escalating. · Costs of Fuel are rising · Intermittent MVR services · Overwhelming Compliance and Reporting Demands for a remote and extremely understaffed organization. Tennant Creek Transport remains Solvent – We have the funds to pay our debts and redundancy packages to our remaining staff. In short: For a community volunteer association the absolute impossibility to be able to recruit accredited drivers, overwhelming compliance and reporting demands, and difficulties maintaining the fleet are the critical factors which make operating our services unsustainable under present circumstances. The Following Services will cease at the end of this week – 30th June 2024 1. The Door to Door Minibus (Wheelchair) Service – Monday to Friday 2. The Greyhound Connect Service – Nightly connection to Greyhound 3. The Town Route Service 4. Charter Services We sincerely thank all those volunteers, agencies and community members who have supported the Tennant Creek Transport association over more than twenty years since its beginnings. Without your support and generosity, we would have been able provide these essential services in our community. Georgina Bracken Chairperson, on behalf of the Management Committee Tennant Creek Transport Inc. 
Our very first first Borrowed Bus.
 The bus launch
HISTORY - From 2014
IN 2014 Tennant Creek residents enjoyed a new bus service which ran five days a week throughout the town. The service was the first of its kind in Tennant Creek and started just as the town’s only taxi suspended its operations. In 2012 a report published by NTCOSS highlighted the problems some Tennant Creek residents have in getting around town and accessing essential services such as shopping, the hospital and other services in the centre of town. In response a bunch of dedicated residents formed a non-profit transport group Tennant Creek Transport (TCT). The group spent nearly two years trying to set up a bus service assisted by a grant from the Centrecorp Foundation and support from local agencies and Tennant Creek Advisory Board. In 2014 TCT engaged a transport worker, Charlie Richardson, to apply for approval to run a public bus service and to find and train some drivers. Charlie finished his work in July having set up the town’s first bus service. The work was then taken over by the two new drivers who had achieved endorsement by the NT Department of Transport and a very hard working committee. Lead by Convenor Georgina Bracken, the group continued to manage the day to day tasks involved in running a bus service until June 2024. The service started with a bus loaned to TCT by Barkly Arts. The bus service was open to any member of the public, and its route was designed to make it easy and convenient for people living in the Town Living Areas to get to Tennant Creek’s only supermarket, to Centrelink, to the hospital and Anyginginyi Health Clinic and to other services in the main street. The service helped to keep people in touch with and visit relatives and friends living at the opposite end of town. |
