Transport and parking

At JCU there is a range of transport and parking options for getting to and around campus. All information is listed below, including student discounts for public transport.

Bus Services in Townsville and Cairns

Sunbus provides a regular bus service to and from the campus, city and suburbs in both Townsville and Cairns. Pick up a timetable at the Student Association or visit the Sunbus website.

Public transport in Brisbane

For information about public transport in the Brisbane area, go to the TRANSlink website.

Bus Stops

Townsville
Sunbus only services one bus stop on the JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas. This stop is outside Education Central (Bld. 134). The buses pick up passengers at the bus shelters in front of car park PW15 and drop them off on the Education Central side of the road. One bus goes past the colleges and halls of residence on Western Campus.

Students who study Veterinary Science or other health degrees may find it more convenient to walk to the Townsville Hospital bus stop instead of across campus to the JCU bus stop.

Cairns
On the JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield there is a bus stop on Panguma street.

Students who live at the Student Lodge should also be aware that there are bus stops along Captain Cook Highway and on McGregor Road.

Tertiary Transport Concessions

A 50% concession fare is available for tertiary students on all TransLink public transport services, regional qconnect bus services and approved regional ferry services. To travel on tertiary concession fares in regional Queensland, students will be required to meet all of the eligibility criteria and carry a current student ID with a valid tertiary concession sticker attached. Students will need to apply each year for a tertiary concession sticker as they expire in March of every year.

To meet the eligibility criteria students must

Be enrolled in and attending a course
Reside in Queensland
Be a full-time student enrolled on an internal basis.

If you are eligible for a tertiary concession sticker please follow the below steps:

Have a current JCU student ID card
Download and complete a Tertiary Concession Sticker Application Form for your campus
Send or bring your form to the Student Centre (Townsville and Cairns) or your Administration Office (Mackay and Mount Isa).
Upon verifying your eligibility, staff will apply a tertiary concession sticker to your current JCU student ID.

For more information about the tertiary concession sticker including information for regional students wanting to travel in South East Queensland, visit the Translink Tertiary Students webpage.

Costs

Sunbus offers students a special rate (with a Tertiary Transport Card) as well as convenient monthly or weekly unlimited travel tickets. The costs vary depending on zones travelled. For further information contact Sunbus at:

Cairns – Tel: (07) 4057 7411, Email:cairns@tagroup.net.au
Townsville – Tel: (07) 4725 8482 , Email:townsville@tagroup.net.au
Web: https://www.wearekinetic.com/
Centrelink pensioners may be eligible for further discounts.

Students studying in Brisbane should check the TRANSlink website.

JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas

Free and permit parking is available. Parking permits can be purchased through the vPermit system, with options available for casual paid parking. Find out more about where the designated areas are on the JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas parking map (PDF, 7465 KB).

Casual parking: Drivers who wish to park in a permit area but do not wish to purchase a vPermit may opt to pay for per-visit parking on a casual basis or park in free areas. CellOPark is a free app which allows users to set up their own account and pay for parking quickly and easily, eliminating the need to display paper tickets. Alternatively, casual parking fees can be paid using the JCU Townsville Pay-by-Plate Machine, which is located on campus.

Permit parking: There are more permit parking spots available than free parking. The Townsville vPermit (virtual permit) system is available online for JCU staff and students, and other affiliated personnel who wish to park their vehicles at the JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas.

Find out more about parking at JCU.

JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield

Annual and half-yearly permit parking: The Cairns vPermit (virtual permit) system is available for JCU staff and students, and other affiliated personnel who wish to park their vehicles at the JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield. vPermit eliminates the need for paper and sticker permits and is available online.

Casual parking: CellOPark is a free app which allows users to set up their own account and pay for parking quickly and easily, eliminating the need to display paper tickets. Vehicle registration is recorded when you start a parking session.

Alternatively, casual parking fees can be paid using the JCU Cairns Pay-by-Plate Machine.

Find out more about where the designated areas are on the JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield parking map (PDF, 433 KB).

It's great idea to ride your bike to campus – it will save money and help the environment too!

Bike tracks: Visit the council's website to see local bike tracks to the JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas or the JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield.

Beam Saturn E-Scooters: A number of Beam Electric Scooters can be found around campus. Prices at $1 to unlock and $0.20 per minute, this is a fast and enjoyable way to travel around our 386-hectare university. Download the Beam App here.

On-campus cycling facilities

Bike storage: Designated bike racks are located near most major buildings on both the JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield and JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas. There is also secure, swipe-access bike enclosure beside the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library in Townsville. You will need to request access to this facility by filling out an Application for access card for Secure Bike Facility.

View the designated bike storage locations by downloading the Transit and Parking map for your campus:

Download the JCU Cairns, Ngumba-bada campus, Smithfield Transit and Parking Map (PDF, 167 KB)

Download the JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas Transit and Parking Map (PDF, 833 KB)

Showers: As we are situated in the tropics, cyclists often want the option to shower after their ride. Public showers available at both JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield and JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas.

View the shower facility locations for JCU Townsville.

View the shower facility locations for JCU Cairns.

You can find out more information on cycling facilities at JCU on TropEco's Bicycle Travel webpage.