Community-managed buses have the potential to help address limited transport options in Australia's rural and remote communities, according to a La Trobe University evaluation of a pilot project in Victoria's Gippsland region.
The Gippsland Community e-Bus Pilot, supported by the Victorian Government's Department of Transport and Planning and iMOVE CRC, tested whether small, volunteer-run electric buses could provide practical, inclusive and sustainable transport in two communities with no public transport alternatives.
Electric minibuses were launched in the remote communities of Venus Bay and Sandy Point, giving locals a fully electric, wheelchair-accessible transport option in an area where travel typically required a private car and where some residents were effectively unable to travel at all.
La Trobe spent two years monitoring the pilot, analysing service data and interviewing residents and volunteers to understand how well the community-built model functioned and whether it could provide a viable transport solution for remote and low-density communities.
Dr Magda Szypielewicz, from La Trobe's Centre for Technology Infusion, said the evaluation showed that the community-built models developed in the pilot could strengthen mobility and improve access for rural communities throughout Australia.
"It improves wellbeing by reducing social isolation and helping residents stay connected to essential services and community life," Dr Szypielewicz said.
"The project also highlighted opportunities to strengthen Victorian transport policy, particularly the need for clearer recognition of community transport within the broader transport system. Strengthening this policy framework would better support priorities such as ageing in place, equitable access and sustainable mobility in regional communities."
Through the Victorian Government's Flexible Local Transport Solutions Program, auspiced by South Gippsland Shire Council, both communities received funding for a 10-seater electric bus which they nicknamed Sandy and Sunny.
Volunteers managed bookings, driving and administration, providing 545 regular and on-demand trips for 2892 passengers since March 2024. Many passengers reported they would not have travelled at all without the e-bus, highlighting the service's role in creating new mobility opportunities.
Passenger Ada Patestos said the service has been transformative.
"The community bus gave me wings," Ada said. "I am able to go out to places independently. I've also got to meet others from our community that I may not have met otherwise. I really hope the community bus continues beyond the trial."
Ian Christensen, Managing Director of iMOVE CRC, said the pilot showed it was possible to empower communities to deliver services specific to their needs.
"This not just a bus service - it is a data-driven experiment in micro-transit," Ian said.
"We have spent two years gathering data on usage patterns, battery performance on rural roads, and community management structures. The result is a scalable 'toolkit' that can be shared with hundreds of other towns across Australia."
As the trial comes to an end, the challenge now is to bridge the gap between promising pilot and a financially sustainable service.
Ian said the stakes extended far beyond two buses in South Gippsland.
"Transport for remote communities has long presented a conundrum for governments all over Australia: how to provide transport services where the normal model is not viable? These kinds of community-led initiatives could be an important way of tackling this challenge, if we can make them sustainable."
The Gippsland Community e-Bus Pilot was supported by the Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), Venus Bay Community Centre, Sandy Point Bus Management Committee, La Trobe University, and iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre, with support from the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program.
