‘I do it because of love’: Vital Katherine bus service forced to turn people away

Transporting customers from Alice Springs to Gove, one Katherine driver is disappointed he can’t help the community he loves.

Katherine Country Bus driver Abdelrahim Khalifa and customer Sam Harvey were disappointed to have Centrepay services taken away. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Katherine’s “bush Uber” was forced to cut services to the community after an administrative bungle revoked federal government support.

For nearly three years, Abdelrahim Khalifa has provided a transport service that has used Centrepay for customers who were unable to pay for the service in full.

Due to being unable to meet the obligations of a Centrepay-using business, Mr Khalifa in October was removed as a business able to use Centrepay and has resorted to either getting customers to pay in full, or turning people away.

It is understood Services Australia is not actively looking to revoke Centrepay from businesses like Mr Khalifa’s, especially one providing a “vital” service to the community.

However, it is also understood that since Mr Khalifa was unable to meet Centrepay Policy and Terms eligibility criteria, he could no longer use Centrepay as a payment option for customers.

Katherine Country Bus driver Abdelrahim Khalifa was disappointed to have Centrepay services taken away. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Despite acknowledging his faults, Mr Khalifa said it was “extremely disappointing” for many of his customers who could no longer afford the service.

He said he’d taken people as far as the Gove Peninsula and Alice Springs, but now it just wasn’t a possibility.

“Sometimes we’ll go 700 kilometres, 200km, sometimes even 1000km and we’ll sleep there and come back the next day,” he said.

“It’s not just about driving around communities, it’s about connecting with people, and we see how they struggle and how they need more services and help.

“I do it because of love, it is helpful, for me since I came to this area and connected with some of the Indigenous people I feel connected to them, I feel part of them and everything I’ve been doing is for love and want to help them.”

Mr Khalifa is one of three bus services operating in and around Katherine, but he said the other services “didn’t offer the same service”.

Mr Khalifa said offering a door-to-door service was important for locals, rather than stopping at bus stops, though sometimes it made the journey perilous.

“It is not an easy job, we go to areas where there is no road, many, many times I’ve been stuck in the road and had to leave my car somewhere and keep walking to get help,” he said.

“Sometimes you need to drive through water, sometimes there’s no road at all.

Katherine Country Bus driver Abdelrahim Khalifa was disappointed to have Centrepay services taken away. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Just travelling to one community I got a punctured tyre, and the second time something hit the fuel tank, all the fuel came out, that’s how rough the road is.”

Sam Ashley is one of the many customers that can no longer use Mr Khalifa’s service.

Mr Ashley said he had not been able to travel to his Beswick home for two months since the Centrepay option was removed.

“It’s not a good thing,” he said.

“It’s sad that it’s been taken away from us.

“We need more help.”

While Mr Khalifa’s business continues to operate without Centrepay, he was hopeful the option would return in future.

Acknowledging the reason behind Centrepay being revoked, Mr Khalifa said going forward was about “working together”.

“It is all about working together for the community,” he said.

“We are hoping we can get Centrepay back to help our customers.”

While Mr Khalifa has appealed the decision, Centrepay is currently going through reforms and the future of the service will require a new application process.

Centrepay will be implementing program changes from July 1.

Mr Khalifa said he was hopeful the reforms would reopen a door that was currently closed for both him and the greater Katherine community.