One northern suburbs bowling club has ditched the courtesy bus – for an Uber.
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For the last month, Towradgi Park Bowls and Recreation Club members have been able to get an Uber to or from the venue – and the club pays $7 of the fare.
Club general manager Wayne Toomey said they’d gotten rid of their courtesy bus about four years ago because it wasn’t financially viable; to run it a few nights a week was costing $1300.
Since then members had been asking for it to return – and so the courtesy Uber was born.
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“With the implementation of Uber in the area I thought why not just discount the Uber for patrons in the local area to come to the club?” he said.
“It will get them to and from the club safely and at their request.”
And it’s faster too – a courtesy bus can take a while as it stops to pick up other passengers on the way in or drop them off on the way home.
“This one is like a door-to-door pick-up service, it’s a direct transfer to and from your house,” he said.
Members sign up for the service with the club, giving their name and email address associated with their Uber account.
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Then, when they book an Uber to or from the club, they click the Towradgi Bowling Club account that pops up and away they go.
So far it's been a winner with members, Mr Toomey said.
“The people who were after a courtesy bus service are happy," he said.
“Everyone who’s using the service says it’s great. They’re actually promoting it amongst themselves and if someone in the club doesn’t know how to use it, they’ll instruct them.”