The people of Australia may soon see a giant blue bus driving down their streets if entrepreneur and chef Simon Rowe has his way. He has developed plans for the SleepBus, a giant blue bus with sleeping pods for individuals and familes. The SleepBus provides a simple solution for "people sleeping rough" until they can get back on their feet. Rowe says: “The more I developed and researched a solution, the more I discovered what a good night’s sleep can do for a person’s physical and mental health. Just being able to sleep through the night, warm and safe, can give a person a whole new outlook on life. “Sleep Bus is distinct, yet complementary, to existing efforts from other organisations supporting Australians experiencing or at risk of ending up on the streets. Our work aims to fill a ‘gap’, rather than overlapping or replicating activities that support the urgent needs of people in Australia. “The least we can do is provide safe overnight accommodation to people sleeping rough in Australia, until they get back on their feet.” “The bus design includes 22 individual sleep pods, two toilets, 22 personal items lockers, under bus storage, eight pet kennels, security system, lighting system inside and out and an intercom system for family sleep pods with parental control locks. The toilet’s have been strategically located at the front of the bus to assist with the safety of guests within the bus,” he said. “Each sleep pods comes with single bed inner spring mattress, pillows, sheets and blankets (washed daily). The pod has USB charging for mobile phones, personal light, lockable roller door, climate control and television with auxiliary channel running adverts for available services in the area to help with pathways out of homelessness. “Each pod can be adapted for families, with parents able to control their child’s door lock and intercom for communication between designated family members only. “We want at least one bus on the road by this coming winter. That one bus will provide 8,030 safe sleeps per year and can last up to 10 years before it needs major work or replacement. One bus costs approximately $50,000 to buy and build.” The program will start in Melbourne where Rowe is based. First trials will begin in a suburb of the city to test the system and fix any issues that may occur. After that trial, a 90-day two bus trial will begin in the heart of Melbourne. After the second tiral, Rowe has plans for a seven bus initiative, details of which haven't been released yet. Security is being taken very seriously on the SleepBus. There will be a caretaker on the bus every night. Doors will be locked at 8:30pm. If a guest needs to leave after 8:30, they won't be permitted bck on. This is for safety and enjoyment of others. There will be two bathrooms at the front of the bus where the caretaker is located, to ensure everyone is safe when they leave their sleep pod. The next level of security will be CCTV cameras which will be monitored by a central monitoring location and can call for assistance in an emergency. The last level of security is working with the local police.” Rowe's early experiences are part of what led him to develop the SleepBus. “In 1993, I fell behind in my rent and was evicted. I had a job, but for the next four months I lived in my car while I saved up enough money for a month’s bond and a month’s rent on another place. I would park in a car park near my old place for the night, and in the morning’s I would drive to a caravan park near by, sneak in, have a shower and go to work,” he said. You can visit the gofundme page here: https://www.gofundme.com/sleepbus Or you can like it on Facebook and get more information here: https://www.facebook.com/sleepbusaustralia
