RDAWEP has been managing the passenger service from Ceduna to Yalata for the past five years.
The service has operated regularly 3 times per week and during that period has transported 3,780 persons to Yalata. RDAWEP engaged Dave Clarke as the passenger bus operator, whose cultural knowledge, ability to speak and understand Anangu language and understanding of the needs of Anangu people has been a major contributing factor to the success of the service.
The project was instigated as a result of the Coroner’s Inquest into the deaths of Anangu people on surrounding roads of Ceduna. It was recommended that a passenger service be one of the actions to address the serious accidents that were occurring at that time. Since the inception of this and other recommended programs, there has been no further deaths of Anangu pedestrians on the nearby roads.
The Anangu people have expressed their thanks to both RDAWEP and Dave Clarke for providing the service. Many thanks to Greg and Sonya Limbert for their assistance in the initial start-up of the program, more recently On The Run Services, the Day Centre, Housing SA, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Yalata Community, the relief drivers that provided assistance, and many others that contributed to the success of the program. The program will continue following the seamless changeover to new operators.