A Solo Effort
Tweed Byron and Ballina Community Transport (TBBCT) provides transport assistance to the elderly, people with disabilities and other transport disadvantaged people who live in the shires of Tweed, Byron, and Ballina. TBBCT travel throughout our region and into SE Queensland utilising a largely volunteer workforce of drivers and bus assistants.
TBBCT have been in continuous operation since 1990 and currently provide assistance to more than 4,000 individuals annually, delivering close to 90,000 passenger trips in a normal year. COVID has had an impact on their trip numbers since March 2020, but they have courageously worked throughout the snap lockdowns and border closures to assist their clients in accessing essential medical treatment.
TBBCT volunteer driver Bill Jordan happened to be talking to a friend at Solo Resource Recovery by chance. During this conversation, it became clear that the current fleet of TBBCT vehicles was under significant strain to meet the community’s growing needs. Financial restraints were impacting the organisation’s ability to upgrade the fleet. They needed assistance!
Word travelled quickly! Within days of this ‘chance meeting’, Solo Resource Recovery, leaders in waste management and fellow NNSW locals, offered to purchase two brand new Toyota Prius hybrid cars for TBBCT to assist in relieving some of the pressures they are facing.
The generous offer was taken up without hesitation. The two new Toyotas are scheduled to be delivered in November, just in time for the run up to Christmas. They have excellent fuel economy ratings, and a very capable hybrid system meaning they are better for the environment than traditional fuel-only vehicles.
CEO of TBBCT – Monique Pollock said, “Our region has a very high, ever-growing population of older people, it is also very transport disadvantaged with limited accessible public transport and a lot of people need to travel long distances to medical destinations.”
Ms Pollock went on to say “On behalf of our wonderful clients, our 125 volunteers, and the rest of the entire team at TBBCT, we thank Solo Resource Recovery for their very kind donation. These vehicles will enable Tweed, Byron & Ballina Community Transport to continue to provide essential services for our community, helping people access vital services and keep connected to our community. Solo Resource Recovery’s donation of the two wonderful Toyota Hybrid vehicles will enable us to assist over 4000 people travel across in area in an environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient manner”.
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