A locally designed and built new bus depot at Mt Claremont has gone into service today.
The $7.8 million facility includes a four-bay workshop, administration building, refuelling facilities, bus wash facilities and hardstand parking areas for up to 55 buses.
The new facility, located on a 1.2ha site west of Brockway Road, was designed and built by WA company Pindan Constructions.
The new depot will help future-proof Transperth's bus operations, as part of a push by the Public Transport Authority to ensure as many bus depots as possible are owned by the State.
Previously, Transperth buses servicing Claremont and surrounds operated out of a Fremantle facility on a month-by-month lease.
Investing in land and construction of depot facilities eliminates the risk of strategic inner-suburbs locations being purchased for other developments, removes expenditure on rent, reduces costly 'dead running' (operating without passengers) of buses, and ensures bus contract operators can compete for tenders on an even playing field - regardless of whether they own a local depot facility.
The facility will also have the capacity to house additional articulated buses to support the highly-successful Route 950.
The new depot will be open daily, with most bus movements occurring from 6am to 8am and again from 6pm to 8pm.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This facility will ensure passengers in the inner suburbs receive the best and timeliest services at the lowest cost.
"The cost to the state - and therefore WA taxpayers - of rent, dead-running and less-competitive operational contracts is significant, and I commend the Public Transport Authority for their strategic vision in acquiring this facility, which was also designed and built by a local company.
"The PTA also has several other facilities planned for construction in the next year."
