The Coastal Explorer open-top bus trial provided a fun tourism activity for all ages and encouraged people to stay on the coast for longer.
It also improved connectivity to the beach and provided a north-south connection along the coast between the major tourism destinations of Scarborough and Hillarys Boat Harbour.
Project cost
A grant pool of $100,000 (+ GST) is available to fund projects each financial year.
Project timeframe
8 weekends (January to February 2025).
What was the problem or opportunity being addressed?
There were ongoing issues with limited public transport to the beach, as well as parking and road congestion on weekends during the summer. The City of Stirling had been advocating for improved public transport to the beach for some time, and saw an opportunity to prove the popularity of such a service and create a bookable tourism activity.
How the project addressed the problem or opportunity
The City of Stirling approached City Tours, who operate the iconic open-top double-deck bus service between Perth CBD and Kings Park, to see if they would run a coastal service connecting Perth City to Scarborough Beach and Hillarys Boat Harbour. With excellent collaboration from the City of Joondalup, an eight-week trial took place in January and February 2025.
The trial aligned with the City’s Strategic Community Plan by attracting visitors to the City, and the Economic and Tourism Development Strategy 2021-25 by improving public transport access to the beach.
Project outcomes
Supported by the Cities of Stirling and Joondalup, ticket sales indicated 800 passengers used the subsidised service during the trial. On-board surveying was conducted by staff to determine the motivations to travel and the estimated economic impact of the service on the local economy.
Key survey insights showed:
- 69% of all survey passengers planned to visit cafés, restaurants, or bars • 66% planned to visit the coastal beaches
- 55% planned to visit retail spaces • 73% stated that their spending at local businesses had increased slightly or significantly
- 38% of survey users anticipated spending $51-$100 per day, 24% said $101-$200 and 14% said they’d spend upwards of $200.
All respondents stated they would recommend the Coastal Explorer Bus to others, underscoring its positive reception and impact on the local visitor economy. The popularity and publicity surrounding the trial supported the work done advocating for public transport to the beach, and may have acted as a catalyst for the launch of the Surf CAT.
It was also a great example of collaboration between the Cities of Joondalup and Stirling with local business.
Lessons learnt
- Whilst the Coastal Explorer bus operator, Perth Tours, decided not to extend the trial, the Coastal Explorer was well received by passengers and local businesses. Promotion of the service featured heavily across multiple content providers – including Destination WA, Hello Perth, Destination Perth, Perth is OK, ABC Radio and Perth Now.
- By increasing awareness on the need for improved public transport to the coast the trial was well timed to support the State Government’s election commitment to launch a free Beach CAT service from Stirling to Scarborough.
