DEMENTIA PATIENT HIT WITH $280 TAXI FARE AS HORNSBY KU-RING-GAI COMMUNITY TRANSPORT FAILS TO DELIVER CRUCIAL SERVICE

Dementia patients are paying hundreds of dollars in taxi fares while the NSW Government stands by as Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Community Transport (HKCT) refuses to rehire all former drivers following the collapse of Community Transport Central Coast (CTCC).

The Transport Workers’ Union of NSW (TWU) has learned one family paid $280 for a round trip from Chittaway to Gorokan to ensure their loved one with dementia could get to medical appointments.

CTCC employees were blindsided by the company’s sudden collapse in September, leaving over 70 workers without jobs. While the NSW Government acted quickly to restore services, appointing HKCT as the new provider, the company HKCT has failed to conduct a fair and transparent hiring process. Instead, selectively contacting a small number of former CTCC drivers.

Drivers have since been forced to leave the job they loved due to financial or family pressures. One single father chose not to return due to the stress impacting his mental health. While another driver, a mother of two, suffered a breakdown on the day of the closure and continues to struggle.

Providers were also not informed in advance about CTCC’s closure. On the day, a few aware drivers tried to notify providers, but attempts to contact CTCC or HKCT to resume services have been unsuccessful. The CTCC phone line now redirects to an answering machine, with most calls unanswered.

The TWU urges David Harris as the Minister for the Central Coast to put the community’s needs first in holding HKCT to account. Former drivers and clients of CTCC will hold a rally outside MP Harris’ office Thursday to express their frustrations.

TWU NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen said HKCT had a responsibility to ensure these critical services were available to all, without placing an unfair burden on families.

This is a basic issue of fairness—no one should be left without access to essential services, especially the most vulnerable in our community. HKCT needs to do more than just take over the reins; they need to ensure no one is left behind, whether it’s patients or the workers who served them for years”

“These workers didn’t just lose their jobs; they lost their sense of purpose in serving their community. HKCT’s lack of transparency and fairness in the rehiring process has left many without hope. We demand that all former CTCC drivers are given the chance to return and continue the important work they were doing.”

“We need swift action to ensure that the elderly and vulnerable in our community are not left stranded. HKCT must step up, restore services immediately, and give former CTCC drivers the fair opportunity to return to the jobs they love.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Adam Jacobson – 0405 625 208 / adam.jacobson@twunsw.org.au