Getting around Huntly and Bendigo: your disability transport guide

Huntly is close to Bendigo. The trip itself is another matter when you use a wheelchair, don’t drive, or find a busy bus hard work.

You have more options than most people expect. This disability transport guide for Bendigo and Huntly covers Bus 5, the train from Huntly Station, wheelchair accessible taxis, the state taxi subsidy, community transport and the NDIS funding that can pay for some or all of it. For each one, you’ll find how it works, what it costs and who to call.

What are the disability transport options in Bendigo?

You have five main options for disability transport in Bendigo: Bus 5 from Huntly, V/Line trains from Huntly Station, wheelchair accessible taxis, half-price taxi and rideshare fares through the Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP), and a support worker who drives you, paid from your NDIS plan. Most people end up using two or three.

One catch worth knowing early. The NDIS won’t pay for a taxi because the bus is slow or inconvenient. It pays when your disability makes public transport hard to use in the first place, and that rule shapes everything below.

Bus 5 from Huntly to Bendigo Station

Christian’s Bus Company runs Bus 5, Huntly to Kangaroo Flat via Bendigo Station, on the Transport Victoria network (the old PTV brand). From Huntly it follows the Midland Highway through Epsom, turns down Napier Street past the Botanic Gardens and White Hills, and stops at Bendigo Station before carrying on to Kangaroo Flat.

Stops worth knowing:

• Boronia Road, Midland Highway, at the Huntly end
• Huntly Shopping Centre, Midland Highway
• Epsom Village Shopping Centre, Howard Street
• Bendigo Pottery, Midland Highway
• Bendigo Botanic Gardens, Napier Street
• Bendigo Station, Railway Place

How long does it take? Allow about half an hour between Huntly Shopping Centre and Bendigo Station. That comes from a sample afternoon timetable, so don’t plan a specialist appointment around it. Times change with the day and the school term. Check the Transport Victoria journey planner before you leave.

Is Bus 5 wheelchair accessible?

Ring and check before you rely on it. Christian’s Bus Company is on (03) 5447 2222, and Transport Victoria answers accessibility questions on 1800 800 007.

Check your chair or scooter too. Transport Victoria says a mobility aid should fit within a space 1300mm long and 800mm wide, and weigh no more than 300kg with you in it. Buses add a tighter limit between the wheel axles, so read the full rules on Transport Victoria’s accessibility resources page first.

Is Huntly Station accessible?

Huntly Station has a single platform, seating, a shelter, bike hoops, a lit car park and two bus bays out the front. The first train in 68 years pulled in on Saturday 16 July 2022, according to Victoria’s Big Build. It sits on the V/Line Echuca line: south to Epsom, Bendigo and Melbourne, north to Goornong and Echuca.

Myki works here. The state stretched the myki zone to Huntly when the station opened.

Need help getting on? V/Line says its conductors and station staff help passengers board, and you can wait in the Boarding Assistance Zone. Ring V/Line on 1800 800 007 before your first trip to check what help runs at Huntly.

The catch is frequency. When the station opened, 18 services a week stopped at Huntly. That’s only a few a day, so look up the current V/Line timetable before you build a routine around it. During works, replacement coaches can use a different stop, so read any disruption notice the day before.

At the other end, Bendigo Station has a Changing Places toilet (you’ll need an MLAK key) and a charging point for electric wheelchairs and scooters, inside opposite the café. The City of Greater Bendigo’s 2026 access map shows both.

How do you book a wheelchair accessible taxi in Bendigo?

Call (03) 5444 1271, the wheelchair accessible taxi line on the City of Greater Bendigo’s 2026 access map. 13CABS (13 22 27) and Bendigo Taxis (13 10 08) take bookings too. Book as early as you can, because a regional city only has a few wheelchair accessible vehicles.

When you ring, tell them:

• what kind of wheelchair or scooter you use, and roughly how big it is
• whether you need a hand getting in and out
• the exact pick-up address (a street number in Huntly, not “near the shops”)
• when you want to come home, if you need a return trip

It feels fussy. It also stops a driver turning up in a car your chair won’t fit.

What is the Multi Purpose Taxi Program?

The Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) is a Victorian Government scheme for people with a severe and permanent disability. Members get 50% off the total fare, up to $60 a trip, in taxis and other commercial passenger vehicles. Safe Transport Victoria runs it, and your doctor completes an assessment as part of the application.

Remember it’s half the fare, not the lot. The rest comes from your pocket or your NDIS transport funding. Ask the taxi company or rideshare service whether it accepts your MPTP card before you book.

What about community transport for medical appointments?

Community transport helps Victorians get to medical appointments when they don’t need medical care on the way. The Better Health Channel lists Bendigo Health’s volunteer transport service on (03) 5454 8805. Ring them to check who qualifies and what it costs.

How does NDIS transport funding work?

NDIS transport funding is a yearly amount in your plan for travel you need because of your disability. The test is whether you can use public transport without substantial difficulty. Where you can’t, you may qualify. The NDIA also counts any taxi subsidy you already get, like the MPTP, and it won’t fund family members or carers to drive you to everyday commitments.

The NDIS sets three standard levels. These figures come from the NDIS guideline Including specific types of supports in plans (10 December 2025), and they match the NDIS’s own recurring supports page. Plenty of websites still quote older, lower numbers.

Higher amounts exist in exceptional cases, mostly to help people take part in work. Amounts can change, so check the figure in your own plan. Our guide to the NDIS covers how plans and planners work.

How is NDIS transport funding paid?

NDIS transport funding sits in the recurring supports budget of your plan. The NDIA can pay it into your nominated bank account on a regular basis, or you can claim it through the participant portal or the my NDIS app. Your level shows under recurring supports in your plan, according to the NDIS.

What can you spend NDIS transport funding on?

Taxis, rideshare and other private travel to work, study, day programs and community activities. It also plugs the gap the MPTP leaves. Say a taxi from Huntly costs $40. The MPTP takes $20 off, and your transport funding covers the other $20.

What changed for NDIS budgets on 1 October 2026?

New NDIS laws started cutting two budget categories from 1 October 2026: Social, Economic and Community Participation by 50%, and Improved Daily Living Skills by 10%. The cuts apply when you get a new plan or a reassessment, and from 1 February 2027 when an existing plan comes up for renewal, according to the NDIS.

Recurring transport isn’t one of those two categories. Support worker time for outings often comes from the participation budget, though. Read your next plan closely and ask your planner what it means for your trips.

Can a support worker drive you to activities?

Yes, and for plenty of people it’s the better choice. A taxi gets you there. A support worker can drive you to the GP, a day program or the shops, then stay and help once you’re inside.

The cost depends on your plan and your service agreement. Ask any provider to spell out their travel charges before you sign anything.

At Light of Care Aus, our Huntly team provides NDIS transport in Huntly and across Bendigo, planned around your routine, your equipment and your plan. We confirm pick-up points, destinations and return times before each trip, so nobody waits on a kerb wondering.

Want to sort out your regular trips? Call our Huntly team on 0467 495 045 or send us an enquiry.

How can you build confidence using public transport?

Travel training helps. A support worker rides Bus 5 or the train with you a few times, then steps back as you learn the stops, the timetable and tapping on with myki. It’s part of our disability transport in Bendigo support, and it can tie into bigger goals like getting to work or joining community activities.

Before your first trip

• Open the Transport Victoria journey planner and check the times for your day.
• Ring ahead about Bus 5 access, or book the wheelchair taxi early.
• Take your myki, your MPTP card and your Companion Card if you have one. The Companion Card lets you bring a support person on public transport at no extra cost (1800 650 611).
• Head to Bendigo Station for the Changing Places toilet and the scooter charging point.
• Save these numbers: Transport Victoria and V/Line 1800 800 007, accessible taxis (03) 5444 1271, Christian’s Bus Company (03) 5447 2222.

Frequently asked questions

Does the NDIS pay for taxis in Bendigo?

It can. Your plan needs recurring transport funding, and that depends on whether your disability makes public transport hard to use. People who qualify usually get a yearly amount between $1,784 and $3,456, depending on their level. You can spend it on taxis, rideshare or other private travel around Bendigo and Huntly.

Can I use the MPTP and NDIS transport funding together?

Yes, and it’s worth doing. The MPTP covers half an eligible fare, up to $60 a trip, and your NDIS transport funding can pay the rest. The NDIA takes taxi subsidies into account when it sets your funding, so join the MPTP if you’re eligible and tell your planner.

Does the October 2026 NDIS change cut transport funding?

Not directly. The cuts from 1 October 2026 hit two other budgets: Social, Economic and Community Participation (50%) and Improved Daily Living Skills (10%). Recurring transport isn’t one of them. Support worker time for outings can sit in the participation budget, so check your next plan with your planner.

How long does Bus 5 take from Huntly to Bendigo?

Around 30 minutes between Huntly Shopping Centre and Bendigo Station, based on a sample timetable. It shifts with the time of day and the school term. The Transport Victoria journey planner shows the times for your trip, which beats any number in a blog post.

How often do trains stop at Huntly Station?

Not often. When Huntly Station opened in July 2022, 18 V/Line services a week stopped there on the Echuca line. Timetables change, so for anything time-sensitive, like a specialist appointment, check the V/Line timetable and any planned works the day before.

Who can help me plan disability transport in Huntly?

For funding, talk to your NDIS planner, local area coordinator or support coordinator. For the trips themselves, a local provider can set up a regular routine with you. Light of Care Aus works from 27 Anaheim Avenue, Huntly, and helps with everything from Bendigo appointments to learning Bus 5. Call 0467 495 045.