Our teams at Path Transit, in Western Australia, worked in partnership with the Federal Government and the State Government in WA to organise the safe transfer of cruise ship passengers arriving in Perth over the weekend. The transfer and management of travelers has been a major focus since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with two thirds of reported cases in Australia to have been acquired from overseas.
In this context our teams were proud to support the safe management of these arrivals in Perth.
We implemented a 48 hour transport plan to move around 1,500 people from the Fremantle Cruise Terminal to Perth Airport. This was a volunteer only operation and more than 50 of our drivers, operations staff and engineers raised their hands to coordinate the safe transfer of all passengers. Our staff was equipped with the required PPE to ensure their optimal protection.
James Edmiston, WA State Manager, Keolis Downer, said “we were complemented by the WA Transport Authority for quickly creating a mobilisation plan and swiftly delivering this operation. Our staff’s attitude and engagement gives me a sense of pride. Even in difficult circumstances, our team is always dedicated to delivering the right transport service to help communities. Supporting each other, collaborating and strictly following recommendations from the Government will help us get through this pandemic more quickly.”
David Franks, Keolis Downer CEO, added “I want to congratulate the volunteers in Path Transit for stepping up to help the stranded passengers on the cruise ships and for responding to a very emotional situation where large numbers of elderly and distraught passengers were just relieved to finally be heading home having been refused entry to a number of ports – they all deserve medals for their human kindness.”