Many small communities need to link in with outer regional centres for medical, dental and allied health appointments, and the Gannawarra Shire is no exception. 

The Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership (which is auspiced by the Cohuna District Hospital) conducted a survey in 2009, and found that 113 people from across the Shire needed to travel to Echuca on a regular basis for appointments and medical tests, as well as for recreational and social purposes.

As a result of this survey, the Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership and the Gannawarra Shire Council have formed a partnership to improve access to Echuca, and by doing so have developed a trial bus service between Kerang and Echuca (via Murrabit, Koondrook, Cohuna, Leitchville, Gunbower and Torrumbarry).

The Kerang to Echuca Trial Bus Service has been funded by the Department of Transport for a trial period, and currently provides transport on the first Tuesday and the third Friday of each month, in order to assess the need for a regular public bus service for the future.  

Although the new Kerang to Echuca Trial Bus Service will provide a vital link to the outer regional centre of Echuca, it is not the intention of the new transport service to promote shopping out of town, so all passengers are urged to continue to shop locally whenever they can. 

The Department of Transport has recently evaluated the trial service, and the Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership (and many rural townships) are waiting on the result of this evaluation.  In the meantime, the bus service continues to provide regular transport.

For further information relating to the timetable, fares and relevant bus stops, please click on the following link  -     Kerang to Echuca Bus Timetable