Bribie Island residents will soon have access to a new on demand transport service covering all residential areas of the island as well as surrounding mainland suburbs like Sandstone Point, Godwin Beach, and Ningi, with local operator Caboolture Bus Lines confirmed to run the three-year trial at a flat 50-cent fare seven days a week.
The service addresses a long-documented gap in transport access on an island whose geography and demographics make car dependence a genuine hardship for a significant portion of the community. Bookings will be available by phone, online or via app, with early morning and evening runs designed to align with work and healthcare schedules.
The announcement carries particular weight for residents who live beyond the reach of existing fixed bus routes, which do not cover all parts of the island. The new on demand transport trial will expand the network into those areas and strengthen connections into the broader Translink system.
Why Transport Access Matters So Much on Bribie
The numbers behind Bribie’s transport challenge are striking. The median age on Bribie Island is 64 years, more than 28 years above the Greater Brisbane average, with the 65 to 74 age group making up 25.4 per cent of the population, well above the national average of 9.4 per cent. After the 2021 Census, over 50 per cent of the island’s population was aged 60 years and over, a concentration significantly higher than the national average.
For this community, losing the ability to drive is not a minor inconvenience but a direct threat to independence. The Bribie Island Voluntary Community Help Association currently provides off-island transport to medical appointments in Caboolture, Redcliffe, Northlakes and parts of Brisbane for residents who cannot safely use public transport or who no longer drive. The new on demand transport service creates a complementary option for residents travelling within the island itself, covering day-to-day needs that community transport cannot absorb.
ABS Census data shows that on the day of the 2016 Census, just 4 per cent of employed Bribie residents used public transport to get to work, while more than 71 per cent relied on a car as a driver or passenger. That car dependence reflects the limited alternatives available, not a community indifferent to transit options.
Caboolture Bus Lines Brings Local Knowledge to the Trial
The selection of Caboolture Bus Lines to run the service draws on an operator with an existing presence on the island. The company already runs scheduled services between Caboolture and Bribie Island and offers charter transport for community groups and senior citizen organisations across the region. Familiarity with local conditions, roads and the island’s residential layout positions the operator well for a service that depends on responsive, flexible routing.
On demand transport models differ from traditional fixed-route buses in that vehicles respond to bookings rather than following a timetable. That model suits Bribie’s scattered residential areas, where a fixed route would either miss large sections of the island or require residents to travel considerable distances to reach a stop.
Community transport advocates have for several years identified flexible pre-booked services as the most practical solution for Bribie’s geography, noting the island’s high car dependence and the need for alternatives that do not require transfers or long walks to bus stops.
A Trial Built on Previous Community Research
The new on demand transport service does not arrive without groundwork. Authorities undertook the Bribie Island and Surrounds Transport and Mobility Study to examine current and future transport challenges and to identify community priorities, with public consultation closing in December 2023. That study recognised Bribie’s high proportion of residents aged 65 and older as a central factor in planning appropriate transport access to services within and beyond the island.
Population projections indicate Bribie Island will grow to around 25,000 people by 2041, with demographic ageing driving much of that shift and the number of residents aged 75 to 84 forecast to increase by approximately 49 per cent over the next 17 years. Establishing a functioning on demand transport network now gives the trial time to mature before that demand intensifies.
How to Use the New Service
The on-demand transport service will launch in mid-2026. Bookings will be available by phone, online or through an app, with the 50-cent flat fare applying across all trips. The service runs seven days a week including early morning and evening options.
For those currently using community transport for off-island medical appointments, the Bribie Island Voluntary Community Help Association remains available at bivchai.org.au. Updates on the on demand transport launch date and booking details will be available through Caboolture Bus Lines at cbus.biz.
Published 2-March-2026.
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