Transport Canberra is offering special routes to the War Memorial for Anzac Day. Photo: Transport Canberra, Facebook.
We’ve counted three public holidays coming up for the ACT over the next two weeks – and that’s on top of school holidays. That’s great news for pretty much everything – unless you want to catch a weekday bus or have your bins collected.
So we’ve compiled this handy guide so you won’t be left stranded these holidays.
What’s happening to buses and light rail?
This coming Easter long weekend, Transport Canberra (TC) services will run to a Sunday (or public holiday) timetable for Good Friday (18 April), Easter Sunday (20 April) and Easter Monday (21 April).
On Easter Saturday (19 April), services will operate to the regular Saturday bus timetable and light rail frequency.
Visit the TC website for more information on the Easter timetable.
Buses and light-rail will also run to a public holiday timetable on Anzac Day (Friday, 25 April).
For Canberrans wanting to attend the Dawn Service or National Commemorative Service at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell early that morning, TC is providing free bus services to both. However, you must register to secure a spot, either through the TC Eventbrite site or over the phone at 13 17 10. During this process, you’ll be asked to select a pick-up location.
Free travel will also be available all day for those wearing or displaying service medals on any regular TC bus or light rail service.
But to assist staff in “managing customer demand and resources”, TC still request all medal holders register to ride to the Anzac Day ceremonies.
Visit the TC website for more information on the Anzac Day timetable.
It will be business as usual for those whose bins are normally collected on Mondays. Photo: Region Media.
When should I put my bins out?
Household waste collection services for Good Friday have been rescheduled to the following day, Saturday (19 April). If your bin is normally collected on Friday, make sure it’s out by the kerb for collection by 7 am on Saturday.
All other collection days, including Easter Monday and Anzac Day, will go ahead as normal.
The Recycling Drop Off Centres located in Belconnen, Mitchell, Gungahlin, Phillip and Tuggeranong are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and accept steel and aluminium cans, paper, cardboard and rigid plastic containers.
What if I need to talk to someone at a government shopfront?
Access Canberra will offer “reduced services” over both long weekends.
All service centres will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Anzac Day. However, the phone line (13 22 81) will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm (albeit with “limited services” on Good Friday).
Outside these times, the Access Canberra Contact Centre will remain open to urgent public safety issues like fallen trees and faulty traffic lights, 24/7.
I’ve found a stray dog. Who do I call?
Domestic Animal Services will be closed from Good Friday to Easter Monday (inclusive) and on Anzac Day.
It will be open on the other days from 10 am to 2 pm. Rangers will also operate as normal during the holiday period.
What’s next for buses?
TC is releasing a new timetable to kick off from the start of Term 2 (Monday, 28 April) and coincide with the opening of the new Woden bus depot.
This includes up to 94 extra buses each weekday across the Rapid 2, Rapid 4 and Rapid 10 routes, weekday and Saturday services to Molonglo Valley, and “new and refined” school services to better align with bell times.
Students and families can access “school packs” and timetables on the TC website, which includes information on all of this.
During the school holidays, weekday services will remain the same.
Anything else I should know?
Visit the ACT Government website for more information on any of these points or other services.
Original Article published by James Coleman on Region Canberra.
