Hello there everyone.
Firstly, thank you so much for the support on our Free Tiger Bus petition. I never expected this many people to care about this issue so deeply, and I thank the over 200 people wo have signed this. A special thank you to the studets of my school for supporting this and loving the posters I've put up all over school.
Secondly, after we reached 200 signatures I have sent a letter to the Launceston City Council asking them to keep the service.
A copy of this is attached below. Thanks so much for supporting this petition and I hope this can work in our favour:
To the esteemed councillors of Launceston.
At your 31st of July meeting the Launceston City Council voted 10-2 to cut the Free Tiger Bus service. This was claimed to be because of rising costs and a limited budget. A cost of $300,000 per year was quoted as the predominant reason for ending the service.
On behalf of the residents of Launceston, I ask that the council funds a Free Tiger Bus service onwards from 31 October 2025. The service is a vital lifeline for those who cannot afford to pay for regular bus fares, for university students in Inveresk going out to the city, for those with a disability who cannot walk the steep streets of Launceston, and for the tourists, who will be left stranded around our city.
In a city of Launceston’s size, in this world, we need to be investing in sustainable modes of travel. Public Transport is a proven way of reducing car dependence and carbon emissions. Tasmania is one of the most environmentally-conscious regions in the world, being one of few areas to be powered by 100% renewable energy. In this area, to see a local government ending a public transport service and driving more people to use their cars, is very sad. I would hope that you, as representatives of the people of Launceston, can realise this and strive for projects that benefit our planet, and our people.
As defined in the 2021 census, the Launceston urban area has a population of around 91,000. This is more than sufficient to require public transport. Congestion is becoming a significant problem on key roads, and parking is getting more expensive. Services like the Free Tiger Bus will be needed more than ever in this growing cost of living crisis. There is no good excuse for ending the service to benefit the people of Launceston. The city is constantly growing, and people will be drawn to the area with the promise of a free bus service linking key destinations in our city centre.
Something that appears to have been overlooked is that the Free Tiger Bus is not exclusively used by tourists. On the contrary, many users of the service are locals of Launceston who find it as a useful way to get around. I personally am a very frequent user of the Tiger Bus and can say that without it I might not be able to use public transport. I love using buses to get around Launceston, as I feel it shows me more of the city I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. It also helps me feel more conscious about combatting climate change by using sustainable modes of transport. Many locations that myself and others need to visit aren’t located near the Launceston City Interchange, and the Tiger functions as a last-mile connection for many people. As a student at the __________, myself along with many other students of the school are regular users of the service and without it we would not be able to travel.
When I heard of the impending cancellation of the service, I started an online petition to return funding to the Free Tiger Bus and continue the service beyond October 31st. As of the 22nd of August, the petition had reached 213 signatures. Here are some quotes from people in relation to the closure that I have gathered:
“Students from my school use this bus to commute from school to town everyday. We don’t have the money to catch a paid bus everyday, and a lot of us have disabilities preventing us from walking to town. There are so many people who rely on this bus, please don’t take it away” - ______
“In a state with already limited public transport, removing the only free option not only impacts residents, but tourists who want to explore a city” - ____
“I am a regular user of the Free Tiger Bus. I use it as a last-mile transport solution from the Launceston CBD to Inveresk and viceversa. As I will no longer have access to this service if this cut goes ahead I will be forced to ride a bike 30-45 minutes along an unprotected busy highway to get to school, as my local bus operator does not permit bikes on their services. This will be dangerous for me as a student and will be much more daunting for me. A 300,000 dollar a year saving for the councillors to pocket is nothing. If you want to save that then you could just reduce the number of councillors by a few. 300k is no big deal, LCC.” - _______
Sourced from https://www.change.org/p/save-the-free-tiger-bus
I hope these insights can show how the people of Launceston really care about our bus services. Additionally, the patronage of these services has often been questioned. While I do not deny that the services can often be quiet, this is not always the case. On Wednesday 20th August there were 18 passengers on board the River Explorer service leaving Inveresk at 2:52pm. On top of this, the Commuter Shuttle service helps reduce cars in the city centre and helps with congestion. When the Free Tiger Bus service ends, there will be no bus service to the brand-new Northern Inveresk Park and Ride, which was constructed in 2022 as part of the 300 million dollar Northern Transformation Project, and serves as a northern turnaround for the Tiger Bus. With the 852 spaces at Northern Inveresk out of action, that can lead to hundreds more cars needing a place in the city centre, and increasing congestion on the Victoria Bridge.
The Free Tiger Bus is truly a crucial service for the residents of Launceston. The service links important destinations like the Cataract Gorge, Inveresk, the city centre and the Aquatic Centre. I hope the Launceston City Council can see this and reinstate the service while a review on the route is carried out. I am disappointed that no effort was made to consult with the community before the decision was made, but I hope this mistake can be fixed and the Tiger can roam the streets of Launceston after October 31st. On behalf of the wider Launceston community, I thank you for reading this and hope a consultative and long-term solution can be found for our city centre transport.
Yours sincerely,
_______ ________