Enhanced 532 bus service starts this weekend

Bus transport through Fremantle will change from this Sunday, 1 October. 

With the Fremantle CAT bus service coming to an end on Saturday, passengers can instead use Route 532, which is an upgraded service with a new timetable.

Route 532 buses will run in both directions through the Fremantle CBD every 15 minutes during the day, seven days a week, just as the Blue CAT bus did.

The service follows the same route as the Blue CAT, from Fremantle train station along South Terrace to Douro Road in South Fremantle, ending at Cockburn Central station.

Route 532 includes a stop at the South Fremantle Marketplace shopping centre, which wasn’t serviced by the CAT bus.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge acknowledged that while those who used the CAT bus appreciated the free service, it was becoming increasingly expensive to operate.

“The City of Fremantle was paying 60 per cent of the cost of the Blue CAT.  It’s unusual for a local government to fund a public transport service and when it became known these costs were going to increase, we had to make a decision in the best interests of all ratepayers.

“We are grateful that the State Government decided to increase the frequency of the 532 service, so that people can still move through the city swiftly and conveniently.”

Route 532 is a fare paying service, however free travel is available to those eligible, such as children and Seniors and Pensioner SmartRider cardholders in off peak periods.

A 2 Section fare from one end of South Terrace to the other ranges from $2.30 if paid in cash down to $1.84 for SmartRider Autoload passengers and 70c for students.