The Nightrider bus, a vehicle that has become a night time icon in the town of Gulgong is at risk of disappearing and taking a vital lifeline with it.
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The bus started in 2009 when the RMS worked with the Gulgong Liquor Accord to provide a transport option for people who lived in a town that otherwise has no public transport option available and needed a way home while intoxicated.
The Mudgee Guardian spoke with Rowena Ellis, President of the Gulgong Liquor Accord, who said that over time the bus has become far more than just a ‘booze bus’.
“People used to risk their licenses and the safety of themselves and others and drive home after they’d had a few drinks,” Rowena said.
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“People use it to do their shopping, people use it to go to work.
You know, teenagers even use it to go to parties. They get home at 1 o’clock in the morning and their parents don’t worry because they know they can get home safely.”
The bus has been kept afloat all this time thanks to support from local hotels in the liquor accord, government grants and donations from generous patrons of the bus.
But things have taken a shaky turn in the last few months.
“A couple of years ago, we had a venue that stopped their financial support and we managed to, with grants and sponsorships and other bits and pieces around town, to continue funding the bus and all was well but now we’ve had another one drop out,” she said.
“We’ve worked out that we can continue running it for now, but the last time will be the 28th of October.”
Rowena and the rest of the Nightrider management have been exploring ways that the bus can continue operating outside of the liquor accord.
Rowena says that the total operating costs of the Nightrider bus come to $57,200 a year with a surprising amount of the cost covered by donations.
“We’ve worked out that we can continue running it for now, but the last time will be the 28th of October.”
“We have a donation tin on the bus and so people go on and throw their donations in and help the funding of the bus. That tin gets us about $25,000 a year,”
“That’s huge, it shows that the community really wants to keep this bus. They can see its importance in keeping the roads safe in town,”
Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple
“There’s no other alternative transport that’s affordable that anyone can use in Gulgong.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up with an aim to raise the remaining $32,000 needed to keep the bus going.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe had raised just $340 from four donations in a little over a week.
Rowena and a group of Nightrider supporters caught a bus from Gulgong to the Council chambers on Market Street in Mudgee to attend the August 15 Council meeting.
Many Gulgong residents made the trip to the Mudgee Council chambers to show their support for what they consider an essential Gulgong resource.
Mid-Western Regional Council Mayor, Des Kennedy shared his enthusiasm for the service.
“At Wednesday’s meeting Councillors unanimously voted in favour of a motion that the General Manager continue to liaise with the operator of the Nightrider Bus Service, the community and the Police in Gulgong with a view to continuing this service,” he said.
“I await with interest the outcome of the Gulgong Community Meeting being co-ordinated by police.”
Posting to the Facebook page of the Gulgong Nightrider after the council meeting, Rowena shared her thoughts with its followers.
“Good support from tonight’s council meeting, councillors are very interested in the future of the Nightrider,” the post said.
“A Gulgong Community meeting will be held with police in the coming weeks. Thanks to all that attended the meeting and shared our post.”
The Mudgee Guardian will follow the story as it develops.
