Council to consider CAT bus future

Fremantle Council will consider the future of the CAT bus service at its 24 May Meeting.

The City has consulted extensively with a number of stakeholders to try to find a way to make the CAT bus service economically feasible in the past few years.

Fremantle is the only local government that pays a 60% portion for its CAT bus service from general ratepayer funds with the PTA paying 40%, rather than a parking levy or with no other contributions from external parties provided such as universities.

It’s a service that is paid for by all ratepayers but benefits only a particular area of the City.

The Public Transport Authority has recently informed the City of Fremantle that the cost of the new CAT bus contract will increase by 30 per cent.

Given that the current Blue CAT service runs in parallel, in many cases, to existing PTA bus routes, it is the officers’ recommendation that the CAT service be discontinued given the significant increase in cost and the current funding arrangement with the PTA.

In the report to be considered by Council, City officers are recommending that rather than continue to expect Fremantle ratepayers to fund this service, we will instead work with the PTA to seek to ensure it is either wholly funded by the State Government, or replaced by normal Transperth buses.

The City is also recommending that it investigate commercial opportunities for a ‘hop on, hop’ service that responds to the original intent of the CAT service, providing connections to public transport terminals and major visitor destinations.

Council will consider the issues and make its decision at the meeting on 24 May.

Members of the public are welcome to register to speak at the meeting.

Is the Blue CAT bus service being discontinued?

The current contract for the CAT service is due to end on 30 June 2023. The cost of providing the bus will jump by 30% under the proposed new contract with the PTA.  On 24 May, at a public meeting open to all, Council will consider the service’s future.

What are the alternatives to the Blue CAT bus service?

The Public Transport Authority runs several bus services that cover the same route either in part or in parallel, with marginal loss of service.  There are multiple PTA bus stops along South Terrace from Douro Road, South Fremantle heading to the Fremantle train station.

On Hampden Road, South Fremantle there are multiple bus routes with buses running along Hampden Road, South Street and South Terrace to the Fremantle train station.  The buses run at a high frequency on weekday mornings and evenings. The timetable is available at: transperth.wa.gov.au.

Who uses the Blue CAT service?

Passenger surveys show the service is used by South Fremantle residents, University of Notre Dame students, commuters from surrounding suburbs who "park and ride", visitors to our City and other residents of Fremantle. The service is most used in mornings and evenings, and has light use at other times.

Who pays for the Blue CAT?

The City of Fremantle pays 60 per cent of the cost of the service and the Public Transport Authority 40 per cent. We pay our share from revenue collected from rates. Other similar services are paid for via a parking levy, such as that raised by the Department of Transport in the City of Perth.

What happened to the Red CAT service? During the pandemic, for health and safety reasons, the frequency of the Blue CAT service was reduced from every 10 minutes to 20 minutes, and the Red CAT was suspended.  Since it was re-instated, the Blue CAT bus has had low patronage.

What is the cost of the CAT service?

Under the proposed new contract, the reduced frequency Blue CAT service would cost $360,000 up from $252,000.  If we reinstated both the Red CAT and Blue CAT to full frequency, this would cost almost a million dollars ($985,000), up from $670,000.

Has the City explored other funding options?

Various funding strategies have been explored. We have sought funds from various sources, including organisations whose residents, members, staff or students use the service. While supportive of the service, have not contributed financially. The City also approached the PTA about changing the funding ratio, but it is unwilling to contribute more to the CAT service. 

Is the City looking at other transportation options?

The City has investigated hop-on, hop-off ride services for major tourism locations around the city. In line with the City's policies of reducing congestion in the CBD, the City has also improved bike paths throughout the city making other transportation options easier and more accessible as part of our wholistic and sustainable approach.