Stranded at Scotts Peak

[Wetsox]

On 20 December 2011 one of the established Tas transport companies, I won't name them, left our party of three stranded at Scotts Peak. We had a firm booking to be collected, verified by phone and again on the incoming journey. We had been waiting at Scotts Peak for two nights, having completed our WA traverse early. By collection day all our food was eaten and all other campers had left so the place was deserted. What to do? Booked on flights the next day. Fortunately after four hours of frustration/anger/depression a young couple turned up to camp. They agreed to drive us 65 km to Maydena where telephone contact is available to arrange ongoing transport.

Here is the rub: the transport company actually visited Scotts Peak that same day to drop off passengers. The incoming walkers on the bus spotted the registration booth in the old quarry and asked to be set down there. The driver obliged and simply turned the bus around and bolted for home. Not only did the driver "forget" our booking, but she neglected to check if any other potential passengers were waiting for a lift in the normal pick up/ set down location in the adjacent Huon campground.

I have recommended to our carrier that firm procedures be developed for their drivers when visiting Scotts Peak. Apart from our experience, it is always possible that a walking party may have suffered misadventure and returned early to the start hoping to obtain transport when the next minibus arrives. That is only possible if minibus drivers adopt a "duty of care" and look for return passengers on each visit.

If you are using chartered transport services to Scotts Peak (or anywhere) tell your carrier about our experience and ask what procedures are in place to prevent a recurrence.

[sthughes]

Why not name and shame? Lousy service in Tassie it's all too common in my opinion.

[corvus]

but she neglected to check if any other potential passengers were waiting for a lift in the normal pick up/ set down location in the adjacent Huon campground.

That is shocking service and I am glad you were able to secure a lift however by law "mini bus" drivers are only allowed to carry pre booked passengers and cannot solicit for any other potential customers.
corvus

[Wetsox]

I don't want to name and shame because the company has previously given good service and I am sure they will do so again. The embarassment created by our episode will cause the company to lift their game. My letter to the company suggested 10 easy steps they could take to avoid a recurrence and improve their professionalism. On a count back I have travelled to Scotts Peak using paid transport on nine summers over the last 15 and will probably be there again next summer. I just want to see a return to reliable service.

Someone suggested to me that we could hire a car. The problem is that every car hire contract I have seen in Tasmania (and I think anywhere else) forbids taking the vehicle off sealed roads. If anything happens to the vehicle while being driven on an unsealed road or left in a location accessed by an unsealed road, then the insurance is probably void. This even applies to 4 wheel drives. Crazy!

I am not aware of the law with regard to soliciting by minibus drivers. The airporter bus seems to have no problem picking up unbooked passengers. I can't believe that a wilderness carrier would be guilty of an offence if they collected hungry bushwalkers who were waiting for collection at a remote trackhead. Besides when setting out in December, our carrier used a 4 wheel drive rather than a minibus because there were only three of us.

[corvus]

I am not aware of the law with regard to soliciting by minibus drivers. The airporter bus seems to have no problem picking up unbooked passengers. I can't believe that a wilderness carrier would be guilty of an offence if they collected hungry bushwalkers who were waiting for collection at a remote trackhead. Besides when setting out in December, our carrier used a 4 wheel drive rather than a minibus because there were only three of us.

The law may not seem sensible but it still the law and by breaching the rules the driver could lose their PPV endorsement you can check it out here.
http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/__data/ ... lic_Passen

corvus

[MrWalker]

Someone suggested to me that we could hire a car. The problem is that every car hire contract I have seen in Tasmania (and I think anywhere else) forbids taking the vehicle off sealed roads. If anything happens to the vehicle while being driven on an unsealed road or left in a location accessed by an unsealed road, then the insurance is probably void. This even applies to 4 wheel drives. Crazy!

I think you can take them off sealed roads as long as it is a genuine formed road, but check before hiring. I just looked at the Avis website and their contract says

You and any Authorised Driver must only use the Vehicle on a road which is properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or
gravel road

Since it mentions gravel roads it should be OK on most of the major roads in National Parks.

However, you cannot take an Avis car above the snowline in Tasmania and most hire car insurance does not cover "underbody damage", so if you hit any rocks on the road you pay for the damage.

[tasadam]

However, you cannot take an Avis car above the snowline in Tasmania

Remember in 1986 when it snowed in Hobart? On the Tasman Bridge, on 7 mile beach, in Sandy Bay... Wonder what they call "the snowline"... It probably means if you crash in snow regardless of the altitude, you're at fault.

[Son of a Beach]

I am not aware of the law with regard to soliciting by minibus drivers. The airporter bus seems to have no problem picking up unbooked passengers. I can't believe that a wilderness carrier would be guilty of an offence if they collected hungry bushwalkers who were waiting for collection at a remote trackhead. Besides when setting out in December, our carrier used a 4 wheel drive rather than a minibus because there were only three of us.

The law may not seem sensible but it still the law and by breaching the rules the driver could lose their PPV endorsement you can check it out here.
http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/__data/ ... lic_Passen

corvus

Could you please clarify this. I think I found the document you were referring to at: http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/operato ... tion_sheet

The only reference that seems similar to what you mention is only for luxury hire cars, plus another reference to other vehicles that only forbids using taxi ranks. However, I may have just missed something else in there. The only relevant section I found on my quick look through the document was:

...Luxury Hire Cars will only be able to undertake pre-booked passenger services, and are not permitted to stand on taxi ranks or solicit for work in the street.

Additionally, if a small PPV is not operating under the authority of a taxi licence, it cannot stand or ply for hire on a taxi rank, nor be called or advertised as a taxi or cab service.

[corvus]

http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/__data/ ... _Sheet.pdf

I hope this makes it clear .
corvus

[Son of a Beach]

That's the document I just linked to and quoted from, and I can't find where it supports what you said. Can you please quote the relevant portion?

[corvus]

Just got my PPV Ancilliary Certificate and I cannot drive a Taxi using it (need a separate Taxi endorsement for that) also to solicit for customers the vehicle must be registered as a Taxi the couple I drive are not which I suspect would be the case with most Mini Buses in this State(have you checked out the cost of a Taxi Licence) so I cannot solicit for customers.
I guess if you want clarification better than I can explain it I suggest you contact DIER
corvus

[ignavus davus]

If a bus operator can't go to a scheduled stop and pick up passengers (whether they are prebooked or not) then Tas Metro, Redline Coaches etc. would all be guilty. How often does anyone pre-book for a Metro bus? Can you even do it? I guess part of the interpretation is "what is soliciting?"....Surely as long as the bus only operates on the authorised, scheduled route (unless privately booked otherwise) it is not soliciting for business when it picks up passengers at a designated stop.

Dave.

[norts]

I dont know why this thread has digressed into drivers solicting for fares, the original poster had a firm booking.

Roger

[eggs]

Well getting back to the original post - one early comment was about hire cars.
On several occassions now I have made use of the "lesser" hire companies.
Picking older [and cheaper] cars, they also have little restriction on where you can go. Certainly the Scotts peak road is not a problem.
We have also taken one to the start of the Moonlight Ridge track.
The cars were a bit worn in the interiors (which you would expect) - but very sound mechanically.

Having said that - it does seem that Scotts Peak could warrant some kind of phone service.
I know from a Mobiles point of view it is in a big radio shadow. You can get service on top of Schnells Ridge - on parts of the Anne circuit - and on much of the Western Arthurs skyline.
But climbing Schnells just to make a call is a big effort.

Back before the mobile coverage was on those peaks, some friends were hiking and one of them suffered a broken wrist above Square Lake.
2 of them ran back to Scotts Peak and happened to meet a ranger (I think) servicing the bins. He had to drive them all the way back to Strathgordon to get to a phone.
I know there is a weather station at Scotts Peak. If it is accessed automatically - there must be some kind of radio link down there.
Perhaps parks could invest in a public telephone - or even an emergency telephone arrangement to assist?

[Liamy77]

I would like to draw your attention to rules 1 and 21 in regards to some of the above postings.... Some posts have been removed due to rule breaches etc...




The emergency phones (maybe solar powered like on some highways?) is good - so long as they get reception
I guess you could get around it with a sat phone or spot 2 device in the meantime?

[geoskid]

Thanks for the heads up Wetsox. Very dissapointing to say the least, but sounds like you have it sorted. I don't think any reasonable person would define what you have recommended as soliciting.

[wander]

Given the use of the Scott's Peak location for plenty of boaties and car campers (and I have found cyclists there) it would be very sensible to have a phone booth or a mobile phone link there. The nearest phone otherwise is Strathgordon or Maydena.

But then again I am advocate of draining the Serpentine Impoundment and closing the road back at the bitumen road, so I'm clearly dazed and confused with suggesting the provision of even more infrastructure.

[Ent]

Congradulations to the moderator for bringing the subject back to topic.

However, this situation does highlight in Tasmania limited transport options along with difficulty in getting a message out. In Tasmania there are only two phone companies that offer any reasonable reception in the more remote areas. Even, if you are with them it might pay to confirm pickup details on a high point of the track rather than at the collection point where coverage is non existent as often in a valley.

The Walls area is yet another tricky spot for transport. It must also be considered that transport operators have a high cost in milage and potential vehicle damage for low passanger numbers so fares will be very high. As mentioned, a good option is cheapy non national car rental firms. This I have seen first hand it be a good option to a hiker mad keen to do the Walls walks.

Cheers

[Azza]

Seems like transport hassles all round.. The lake St Clair ferry has been broken all week and won't be operational again until midday Friday. (Maybe)
Allegedly one engine is down.

Not really very happy with the standard of communication from the ferry operators - despite the ferry being broken they still seem to be running services for their Lodge guests.
They call them 'test runs'..
You can imagine our disgust when they cancelled our 3 month old booking at the last minute only to see the ferry roared past us an hour down the track to drop off passengers at echo point.
We observed it several times travelling up and down the lake from top of Mt Olympus.
Seems to be typical of Tasmanian tourism - poor service, no maintenance milk it for all you can.
What a time for it to break down in the peak season - they must be loosing thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

Probably should start a stranded at Narcissus Hut thread...

[ILUVSWTAS]

Seems like transport hassles all round.. The lake St Clair ferry has been broken all week and won't be operational again until midday Friday. (Maybe)
Allegedly one engine is down.

Not really very happy with the standard of communication from the ferry operators - despite the ferry being broken they still seem to be running services for their Lodge guests.
They call them 'test runs'..
You can imagine our disgust when they cancelled our 3 month old booking at the last minute only to see the ferry roared past us an hour down the track to drop off passengers at echo point.
We observed it several times travelling up and down the lake from top of Mt Olympus.
Seems to be typical of Tasmanian tourism - poor service, no maintenance milk it for all you can.
What a time for it to break down in the peak season - they must be loosing thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

Probably should start a stranded at Narcissus Hut thread...

Yes there were alot of frustrated faces at Narcy hut.

[Nuts]

It goes ok on one motor

[ILUVSWTAS]

It goes ok on one motor

Only for VIP's though it seems......

[Nuts]

ha ha, yer, don't know why they let me on..

I believe its at the captains choice for any conditions of altered services.

[geoskid]

Seems like transport hassles all round.. The lake St Clair ferry has been broken all week and won't be operational again until midday Friday. (Maybe)
Allegedly one engine is down.

Wow, I wonder if they fully realize the consequences of this to some walkers. You would think that an operation like that would have a spare. And if it can run at all why would they not run? they are only losing money by not, surely?

[Nuts]

Its pretty rare, last time we were stranded was due to gale force winds on the lake a couple of years ago. Rumor has it that at the time some 'vip' were actually 'demanding' that the ferry run
The communication thing would be pretty frustrating though.

[wander]

Simple solution, ban all motorised transport from the Lake.

[ollster]

Simple solution, ban all motorised transport from the Lake.

More complicated solution: make a sealed road up the Cuvier Valley.

[wander]

In this age of smaller Guvment and belt tightening all round we need to look for the lower cost solutions.

[frenchy_84]

the boat is run by private enterprise not government. However i do vote for a cuvier valley bypass

[MrWalker]

The Parks website and all their information makes it clear they think the walk ends at Narcisssus Hut and everyone should take the ferry. Whereas every guide book suggests that you haven't really walked the track unless you walk all the way. (I've used both methods and I must admit the views are much better from the middle of the lake and the forest walk is not outstandingly better than other forests along the way.)

So as part of OT maintenance for the fee-paying customers, Parks should be required to provide transport down the lake - equivalent to the free bus at the other end, or upgrade the track alternative(s).