Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor Zelinda Sherlock wants a free bus loop linking Salamanca, Sandy Bay, North Hobart and South Hobart, particularly at night.
In a social media video, Sherlock said the City of Hobart had previously agreed to a city loop bus service, but it had never been implemented.
“I think it would be a fabulous idea to have a loop around bus from maybe from Salamanca, North Hobart, South Hobart,” she said.
Sherlock suggested calling the service the Hobart Hop and said it would help young people, seniors and tourists get to the city’s arts and cultural venues.
“Imagine, it’s a Saturday night and you’d like to go from Salamanca and maybe stop in to Sandy Bay, go up to North Hobart, wouldn’t it be really great to have a free City Loop bus service?” she said.
Sherlock said cost of living pressures were affecting how people spent money in the city and that she would advocate next term for a service run in partnership with other organisations.
“This is not about replacing Metro, this is about filling the gaps so we can make short trips easier while reducing unnecessary car movements through the centre of the city,” she said.
Public transport across Tasmania has been free since March and the state government extended free travel until mid-2027 in May’s budget.
In a separate video, Sherlock said activating Hobart’s night-time economy would be a focus for her next term.
Drawing on the work of NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues, she said it rested on three things: telling the city’s stories, collaboration between all levels of government and workforce.
“Hobart is such a unique place, so we together need to talk about the stories that make this city so beautiful and unique,” she said.
Rodrigues visited Hobart in May for a forum on the city’s night-time economy, which supports more than 7,000 jobs and 650 businesses.
Hobart ranked 46th in this year’s Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index and seven venues closed in July when the Pub Banc Group went into administration.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds has previously said late-night public transport would be “a strong first step” for the city’s nightlife.
