Bus driver brought to standstill by COVID

After losing thousands of dollars in just 24 hours when COVID-19 restrictions kicked in, a local bus driver is finally picking up work again after going months with no bookings.

Chart-A-Bus Rockingham owner Chris Matheson said it had been his busiest March ever up until the 18th, when he had been inundated with booking cancellations.

“Every phone call, every email, everything was just cancellations, I never want to have a 24 hours like that again,” Mr Matheson said.

“It had been my best March ever, I went through $5000 worth of fuel over 18 days, that’s just never happened, then just “bang,” nothing.”

Mr Matheson said before COVID-19 had hit, he had been doing a bit of everything and in the week before lockdown, had business from three cruise ships, two seniors groups and school excursions.

“Ever since March 18 I had absolutely nothing booked until early July and it has started to pick up more only in the last three or four weeks,” Mr Matheson said.

“The schools are starting to go places again and that is where I am getting all my business from at the moment.

“In reality, until the borders can open and we can get some normality back, I think we are probably looking at about 2023 to get back to any sort of normality.”

The loss of business was not the only struggle Mr Matheson faced during the pandemic.

“What I was a bit dirty about was we were booked in to do some of the cruise ship movements. What that meant was being dressed in a full PPE kit and getting people off the cruise ships and into the hotels,” he said.

“I actually did a few of those trips, but when the State of Emergency was declared all of the arrangements that had already been made were cancelled and Transperth buses were used instead.

“I had another two trips booked in that week before they changed over and I had been sounded out for the hotel and airport trips as well.

“I lost about $12,000 in turnover just from those trips being cancelled alone.”

Mr Matheson also said it was the Transperth buses which were still picking up all the people arriving at the airports.

Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes said in a pandemic situation, which required a whole-of-government response, it was considered appropriate for government assets be utilised.

“As the State’s public transport operator, Transperth was able to offer a 24/7, high-capacity, fully-coordinated response when required, with drivers who were suitably trained and equipped; plus a well-managed deep-cleaning regime for the buses,” he said.

“Transperth also has access to wider public transport infrastructure, for example, an integrated radio network and had enough buses to enable appropriate social distancing for mass-transportation of passengers.”

Mr Matheson said the cruise ship and airport trips had been the only work going for a number of months and said there had been no thought into how suddenly loosing those trips would affect companies like his own.

“At a time like this when the only non-contracted coach work going is this, for it to be given to an operation that doesn’t need to make money is just really low,” he said.

Mr Matheson also said there had been requests to suspend certain fees for the months where none of his buses were in operation.

“We asked the Department of Transport for the ability to suspend our vehicle licences and inspections for three months while we had no bookings and they took four months to get back to us with a no answer,” he said.

A Department of Transport spokesperson said on March 16, the State Government froze all motor vehicle registration fee increases until at least July 1, 2021, but did not address the prolonged response.

“The State Government supported the on-demand transport industry, which includes the charter bus industry, through the COVID-19 pandemic with more than $3 million in financial assistance and fee relief,” they said.

“As part of this relief package, the renewal fees for passenger transport vehicle authorisations, which charter buses are required to have, were waived for all renewals due on or before March 31 2021.”

Mr Matheson said one positive to come out for the pandemic was that he believed he, and other similar businesses, had emerged more resilient.

“The benefit of all this is that I have had a look at what I am doing and figure out how I will position myself so that I’m more sustainable, and I think a lot of businesses have done that,” Mr Matheson said