Greyhound axes service

National bus carrier Greyhound Australia has axed its Perth to Broome service and shut down its travel centre in the town because the route was not profitable.

The operator said it would continue with its Broome to Darwin route because it was commercially viable.

Greyhound general manager sales Kevin Lyons said services along the “underperforming” Perth to Broome route, including Carnarvon, Karratha and Port Hedland, would end on March 8.

He said the company had battled for 10 years to reverse the fortunes of the floundering run.

“Western Australia is a very important market for Greyhound and we continue to see rapid growth in a number of areas,” Mr Lyons said.

“Unfortunately, the Perth to Broome passenger service is not one of them.”

The average cost was about $347 for a 10-day adult ticket for Perth to Broome, which covered up to 3000km.

“For the past decade, Greyhound has tried to make this route commercially viable by reducing the frequency from seven, then to five and currently three days a week, as well as offering numerous discounted fares,” Mr Lyons said. He said already poor patronage compounded by new competition on the Perth to Geraldton, Exmouth and Port Hedland routes combined with high fuel and operational costs had forced Greyhound’s hand.

Mr Lyons said forward bookings were very low.

“Only 54 people had reserved seats for the rest of the year and Greyhound will provide full refunds to those booked to travel after March 8,” he said. “We empathise with passengers and businesses affected by the decision but we simply cannot continue to absorb losses on routes with very few passengers.”

The Broome Visitor Centre has now become the full booking agent for Greyhound, selling tickets for the Broome to Darwin service and beyond.

BVC manager Nick Linton said the centre had spoken to Integrity Coach Lines about continuing its service from Port Hedland to Broome.

“There will be some inconvenience for people looking to travel between Broome and Port Hedland as some visitors opt for bus because they want to visit the highlights of the coastal journey,” he said.

Mr Linton said it could be more difficult for backpackers who wanted to stop at coastal attractions and locations.