Albie, Damon and Darcy with bus driver Elizabeth Duff-Ruprecht. Picture: Stewart Chambers 43212
By Melissa Meehan
A NEW bus service that travels between Pakenham and Kooweerup now runs all day, seven days a week.
Elizabeth Duff-Ruprecht drives the bus and has her co-pilot Illona Redfarn on hand to do the round trip from Pakenham–Kooweerup Road to Racecourse Road, down Railway Avenue, Henry Street and stops at Station Street in front of the doctors before heading back to Kooweerup.
Mrs Duff-Ruprecht said that the service was a gateway for people who wanted to travel between the towns and for those who wanted to use it as a link to go to Wonthaggi or Phillip Island.
“It’s a great service but people don’t know it’s available,” she said.
Mrs Duff-Ruprecht said since the bus has been running she has already made a good friend out of local resident Albie Mann.
“His grand daughter missed her bus in Kooweerup to go to Gippsland, so I gave him a call and brought her to Pakenham,” she said.
“That is really important for us – that you are not just treated as a passenger, we treat you like a person.”
Ever since she helped his grand daughter, Ms Duff-Ruprecht said she had had many chats with Albie.
“He’s such a lovely man – like all of the locals,” she said.
The first bus leaves Kooweerup at 7am and goes between the towns almost every hour, seven days a week.
