Greyhound Australia to scrap Darwin to Jabiru bus service from January 4

GREYHOUND Australia has announced it is scrapping its bus service between Darwin and Jabiru

Greyhound Australia has announced it would suspend its Jabiru to Darwin service, effective January 4 next year

GREYHOUND Australia is scrapping its bus service between Darwin and Jabiru.

The service will be suspended effective January 4 next month.

The decision comes after insufficient passenger numbers between the two locations made the service unviable, according to Greyhound Australia general manager of sales Dan Smith.

“Our load volumes have been consistently under break-even point for the Jabiru to Darwin and return services, which is the definitive reason for the suspension,” he said.

“Unfortunately, forward bookings are very poor on this service as well, making these services unsustainable for the remainder of the year and into 2020.

“The communities of Jabiru, Aurora Kakadu Lodge, Bark Hut, Corroboree Park and surrounding areas have been very kind and supportive of us for more than 18 years and we do not make this decision lightly, however with ever-increasing running costs and the low passenger numbers it has become untenable to continue.”

Kakadu Lodge manager Tony Quatermass said the service withdrawal was not likely to have much impact on tourism numbers.

Mr Quatermass said tourists usually come to Jabiru and Kakadu on guided tours, or with their own vehicles.

However, he said the changes would likely impact on the ability for his backpacker staff to be able to travel back and forth freely to Darwin.

“It’ll be more difficult for us to get staff to come out here because they don’t always have their own mode of transport,” he said.

“At least half of our staff are backpackers and use Greyhound as their transport to and from Darwin.”

Mr Quatermass said an alternative solution would be for the hotel to provide its own transport to get staff from Darwin out to Jabiru.

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“It’ll mean someone from the property will have to go to Darwin and pick them up and bring them back,” he said.

“It’s 260km there and back to pick them up.”

“It’ll probably make it more difficult for us to get staff to want to work here because they don’t have an option to get back to Darwin for a weekend off.”

Mr Quatermass said the suspended service will also affect indigenous community locals in the area who travel by bus.