Hybrid buses short-term fix for Cradle Mt traffic ahead of cableway
NEW diesel-electric buses will now traverse the road from the Cradle Mountain visitor centre into the national park as part a short-term plan to deal with increased visitor numbers.
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NEW diesel-electric buses will now traverse the road from the Cradle Mountain visitor centre into the national park as part a short-term plan to deal with increased visitor numbers.
The State Government has awarded the tender for the new Cradle Mountain shuttle bus service to McDermott Coaches.
The company has used five conventional diesel buses to transport visitors from the visitor centre into the national park and Dove Lake since 2004.
But, as part of the new contract, Premier Will Hodgman said the company would add
four new diesel-electric hybrid vehicles to the route.
“A new bus fleet featuring environmentally friendly technology and vehicles with improved accessibility will soon be introduced at Cradle Mountain to help meet increasing visitor numbers,” Mr Hodgman said.
“Visitation to Cradle Mountain is at an all-time high, with 268,000 people visiting last year — a 12 per cent increase on the previous year,” he said.
Mr Hodgman said while a cableway remained the Government’s preferred solution for the park, an increased shuttle service would be required in the short term while cableway options were fully explored.
The State Government is seeking to engage a consultant to provide preliminary design, planning and costings of the proposed Cradle Mountain cableway.
MORE: STATE COMMITS $30M TO CABLEWAY PROJECT
The cableway will span from the new visitor centre to Dove Lake as part of the $160 million Cradle Mt master plan.
MORE: KENTISH COUNCIL APPROVES CRADLE MT MASTER PLAN
A Government spokesman said last month a procurement process was under way to secure a consultant to deliver the Cableway and Transport Options Study to provide preliminary design, planning and costings of the proposal.
The master plan also includes a new visitor centre, bus terminal and village hub, as well as a new viewing shelter at Dove Lake and viewing platform beside Glacier Rock.
The Kentish Council has already approved the visitor centre space, with design development and associated civil works in pogress. A development application for the new Dove Lake viewing shelter is not expected to be submitted until later this year.
Mr Hodgman said the Government had committed $21.8 million to implement the plan and a further $35 million for the cableway.
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