Victoria Stone-Meadows

One of the original Port Douglas shuttle services is taking business in a new direction and halting day-to-day shuttle runs.

Adrenalin Transport will no longer be available for regular shuttle runs around town, focusing the business on tours and medical services instead.

Business owner Mark Wallace said it is time for a change in the business after five years of operation in and around Port Douglas.

Mr Wallace said changing the direction of Adrenalin Transport is a bittersweet feeling as he has made some great friends since taking over the business. 

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“It was kind of like the first Uber before Uber was even thought of,” he said.

“It is sad because I have made a lot of friends and I miss them already; I’m sad I won’t see them every day.

“That was the beauty of Adrenalin; when I moved here I didn’t know anyone and what better way to meet everyone than running a shuttle business?

“I will still stay in touch with those people but it won’t be a daily thing any more.”

Mr Wallace said the increased number of shuttles in Port Douglas was a factor in the decision to cease regular shuttle operations.

“The business has gone from strength to strength, even winning a few business awards and, because it was a lucrative business, other shuttle businesses have since come from everywhere,” he said.

“It’s a saturated market now and most shuttles are still charging the same fares as they were five years ago so with that and fuel prices it was difficult to continue.”

The business is currently working on acquiring government funding for tours and giving more focus to transporting patients to medical specialists in Cairns. 

Mr Wallace said his ethos for the business moving forward is to offer people a personalised and relaxed service in their times of need.

“We are getting people down to specialised treatments every day,” he said.

“Our whole philosophy is personal service; we pick up patients from their door then we drop them to the specialists and the big difference is we wait for them and bring them home.”

Adrenalin Transport will still be available for charter for weddings, Christmas parties, and other events and will still operate a weekend overnight trip from Mossman to Cairns and back.

Adrenalin will also operate a shuttle at the end of the football season to ensure people are able to watch the Crocs play in the AFL Cairns Grand Final.