Sydney transport - COVID 19 changes

[ozbob]

SMH --> Limits on train commuters, more CBD parking and bike lanes as Sydney returns to work

The state government may be forced to open up more city parking and build temporary bike lanes as commuters avoid public transport when offices in the heart of Sydney start to reopen.

Transport experts predict the easing of pandemic restrictions will cause a surge in traffic in the coming weeks as people avoid trains, buses and ferries. The pressure on Sydney's roads will also be hit by tough social distancing rules imposed at train stations and on buses for those who do choose to take public transport.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian met with ministers and senior bureaucrats this week to formulate how the city's transport network will cope when coronavirus restrictions are lifted. A plan is expected to be rolled out in coming days.

Two sources with knowledge of the discussions say proposals under consideration include a cap on the number of people allowed on a train station at one time. Bus capacity could also be cut and new bike lanes built to encourage people to cycle into the CBD.

Opening up more parking in the city was also floated as an option to encourage people to drive instead of catching public transport.

While Sydney's roads were largely deserted during the lockdown, transport expert Geoffrey Clifton said Transport for NSW would have to balance the needs of getting people to work with health measures aimed at preventing another outbreak.

"The roads is where we will see the first surge in demand," said Dr Clifton, a senior lecturer in transport and logistics at the University of Sydney.

While busy or mismanaged roads will result in more traffic, Dr Clifton said trains or buses could pose a public health risk. He said the government must now "flatten the curve" when it came to peak hour commuting, and encourage businesses to allow people to work outside conventional times. Extending peak hour services is another way the government could address crowding on public transport.

"Some buses sit around empty after peak hour, but the challenge will be the cost of getting the drivers to keep them on the road for a few more hours," he said.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW division secretary David Babineau said bus drivers would likely be open to extending peak hour services.

"Spreading people out would give drivers a better peace of mind. The problem with that is that everyone starts work at the same time and that's always been the problem," he said.

"With people working from home, hours have been varied, there is an opportunity to try and reset the travelling pattern for the peak commutes."

Mr Babineau said TfNSW must either implement and police strict caps on the number of people allowed to get onto buses or provide drivers with face masks.

"Ultimately we don't want drivers to be in a situation where they're policing that kind of thing. This is where conflict comes and we don't need our drivers copping any more abuse from people," he said.

Union officials are expected to meet with the government on Friday to discuss how the network will be run in coming weeks. Those discussions come amid rising tensions between the government and the union, which is fighting the privatisation of the last state-owned bus networks.

Meanwhile, University of Technology transport expert Mathew Hounsell said the government had to ensure active transport options were made available to keep people off the roads.

He said replacing some road or parking lanes with temporary bike lanes would be a quick and cheap response to the anticipated surge in traffic.

"They won't be able to have everyone driving, it's just not physically possible," Mr Hounsell said.

[timh]

I suspect this will be a trend for a while (driving to the city). I expect increased levels of this with some commuters choosing to drive instead of take public transport over hygeine fears. However I don't think it will last. Gridlock will ensue once the offices open back up, and frustrated drivers will turn back to PT eventually once they realise it's a faster option. I reckon it would take about 6 months to get back to normal. Just my 2 cents

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

^ agree essentially Tim.  As restrictions ease it is likely new cases of COVID-19 will increase for a while, this may make recovery a bit bumpy.

Systems for containment, contact tracing are now sophisticated and established and functioning well, so there are likely to be a few ups and downs.  Full patronage recovery within a year or so.

[ozbob]

SMH --> Pop-up car parks planned as 'nervous' Premier fears public transport risk

Pop-up car parks and bike lanes in Sydney's CBD will be part of the Berejiklian government's plan to cope with the influx of commuters and students emerging from the COVID-19 lockdown.

The government was on Sunday frantically finalising the plan in order to reveal how it would deal with people increasingly returning to work and students going back to school full-time.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian will release the plan on Monday. Senior government sources said she was "nervous" about it because she feared a "London or New York public transport outbreak."

The plan will have three key elements, including enforcing social distancing on public transport, more parking for the extra cars expected on the roads and temporary cycleways.

Pop-up car parks, similar to temporary ones used for major sporting events, as well as utilising close to empty commercial car parks in the CBD will be part of the plan.

The government anticipates a significant increase in people driving to work or dropping their children to school in a bid to avoid catching public transport.

It is also anticipated that more commuters will choose to ride to work. The City of Sydney will announce details of a cycleway plan on Monday with Transport Minister Andrew Constance.

But despite the plan, government sources said there needed to be fewer people on public transport.

One senior government source said: "I think the messaging for the next six months will still be if you can work from home, you should. Public transport is one of the key risks in terms of the virus spreading."

There was one new COVID-19 case in NSW in the 24 hours to 4pm on Sunday. Nationally, there were nine new cases, taking the total tally to 7045 with 98 people having died.

The government is expected to impose physical distancing measures on the transport network, with a cap as low as 12 people per bus being raised as an option. There could also be a cap on people boarding trains.

Speaking about the plan on Friday, Ms Berejiklian said the government would be "very strict" about social distancing.

"We're pretty much at capacity at this stage, but having said that we do have some plans in place to support the community," she said.

Ms Berejiklian cited overseas public transport as "the main reason" COVID-19 had spread across some metropolitan areas, and pleaded with NSW to steer clear of buses and trains during peak hour.

Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman will have an urgent meeting with the government to discuss how commercial car parks can help with the thousands of extra vehicles on the road.

Mr Norman said the Berejiklian government had been the most proactive government in the country and its deferral of the parking space levy was critical in helping the parking industry.

"Even with social distancing measures in place, the reality is that not everyone will be able to catch public transport like they used to," Mr Norman said.

Mr Norman said car parks in Sydney were 90 per cent empty since restrictions were introduced.

"If pop up car parks are something they are considering we will work with them once commercial capacity is full or near to full," Mr Norman said.

"But we would oppose the NSW government going into competition with the parking industry."

But Gabriel Metcalf, chief executive of Committee for Sydney, said Sydney needed to be more creative than just filling up car parks.

"This is a golden opportunity to build out Sydney's cycling and walking networks. Lots of other cities are building pop-up cycle lanes rather than pop-up car parks," Mr Metcalf said.

[ozbob]

SMH --> Capacity slashed in Sydney coronavirus public transport overhaul

Sydney's public transport system faces a massive overhaul as the government imposes strict social distancing measures on the network as the coronavirus lockdown eases, with thousands of commuters expected to be pushed onto the city's roads.

Capacity on trains, buses and ferries will be slashed, temporary car parking set up at Moore Park and six kilometres of pop-up cycleways rolled out across Sydney, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Monday.

Just 12 people will be allowed on a bus and 32 in a train carriage as the government works to maintain strict 1.5-metre physical distancing on the network.

Green stickers will be plastered to seats on public transport, indicating where commuters can sit at a safe distance when they return to work.

Bracing for a huge increase in road traffic as people switch from trains to cars, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance pleaded with people to try to commute outside of peak hours.

And while police say they have no authority to fine people for breaching physical distancing, Mr Constance urged commuters to "show kindness" and common sense over the coming weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"I just want to save lives, I don't want to see a mass transit system in Australia, in Sydney, a global city, drive the infection rate and people die," Mr Constance told reporters.

Trains will run at 24 per cent capacity and buses at 14 per cent for the foreseeable future, meaning Sydneysiders may be prevented from entering stations as they fill up or watch near-empty buses drive past their stops.

School children will be prioritised on these usual services, according to the government.

"I can understand that some frustrations might want to creep in, but that's when people need to step up, show some self-responsibility and do the right thing by the people that are there to serve you," Mr Constance said.

Senior government sources said Ms Berejiklian was "nervous" because she feared a "London or New York public transport outbreak."

People who opt to drive into the city will have the option of free parking at Moore Park and catching a shuttle bus or light rail service into the city.

Up to 90 per cent of the CBD's private car parks are also empty, according to the government, which is in discussions with businesses as to how to utilise that space.

However Mr Constance deflected questions over whether the government would consider subsidising the fees charged by private inner city car parks for people opting to drive during the pandemic.

Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman will have an urgent meeting with the government to discuss how commercial car parks can help with the thousands of extra vehicles on the road.

Mr Norman said the Berejiklian government had been the most proactive government in the country and its deferral of the parking space levy was crucial in helping the parking industry.

Ms Berejiklian last week warned the public transport system was nearing capacity for appropriate physical distancing measures. Mr Constance revealed that 570,000 people had used the system on Friday, compared to the usual 2.3 million.

Meanwhile, the roads are already operating at roughly 80 per cent capacity, with 86 million car movements recorded in Sydney last Friday, down 19 million from usual.

Mr Constance said traffic was likely to worsen across the city as people opted against public transport.

"I could sit here and say 'there's not going to be congestion on the roads,' I'd be misleading you, there is," he said.

However he went on to encourage parents to drop their children at school rather than allowing them to use public transport.

He said the strict physical distancing measures on the network would not apply to dedicated school services.

The government has promised an even more intense cleaning schedule, while it is also considering adding more ferry and water taxi services.

Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said there was no fine for breaking social distancing on public transport.

"That is, I guess, an obligation that right throughout this pandemic people have exercised strongly," he said.

"But what I would say is if that 13th person wants to hop on the bus and police are called, well the bus won't be going anywhere until we've got that person off the bus or there's an appropriate resolution."

Sadly, this is going to lead to transport breakdown and a lot of community unrest. 
A better approach is to make masks compulsory on public transport and run at 50% capacity IMHO.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1262186198056960002

[ozbob]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/physical-distancing-on-transport-key-to-a-safe-pathway-back-to-work

Physical distancing on transport key to a safe pathway back to work

The NSW Government has today released its plan to provide a COVID-safe transport network.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said as restrictions are eased and people travel more, we need to ensure physical distancing is maintained across our public transport network.

"As we ease restrictions, we will see more activity and more people returning to work, school and university," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Our number one priority remains keeping commuters safe so we are ensuring there are plenty of safe and efficient options to get people moving throughout our State during the pandemic."

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said for the foreseeable future, the public transport system could not run as usual, and the current low patronage levels were already close to the safe capacity in the peak.

"Everyone will need to maintain physical distancing during this pandemic," Mr Constance said.

"That means if you are not already using public transport during the peak times, please do not use public transport during peak periods."

The NSW Government's COVIDSafe Transport Plan includes:

Avoiding peak travel: If you are not already using public transport in the peak, please do NOT use public transport in the peak. Services are already close to capacity to allow for distancing at these times. Off peak times are between 10am and 2pm;

Deep cleaning and more hand sanitisers: Intense and ongoing cleaning will occur throughout the transport network and there will be a continued rollout of hand sanitiser at key transport hubs, including at high demand stations;

Boosting parking: Special event-style parking arrangements will be in place at Moore Park for people who are able to drive to work. Other locations will be rolled out soon. In addition car park operators will be offering special deals for all day parking;

More cycling and walking options: The Government is working with councils on establishing pop-up cycleways and enhancing pedestrian access to allow more people to find alternative routes to work;

Physical distancing - 'No dot, no spot': Distinctive green dots will be used on trains, buses and ferries to show passengers the safest places to sit and stand. A 'No dot, no spot' will see passengers asked to wait for the next service. School children will be given priority access;

More data: Customers to be given real time information through Apps, social media and Transport Info to see which services have space available to maintain physical distancing; and

More services: Changes will be considered to increase services eg; more ferries, water taxis and private vehicle passenger services on the water.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said cleaning continues to be ramped up, with an extra 132,000 hours of cleaning since March.

"The network has never been cleaner, however to maintain physical distancing you will continue to see fewer people on our network and we want people to continue to drive, cycle and walk whenever they can," Mr Constance said.

"We will be monitoring patronage and have staff at key locations across the metropolitan area to assist customers."

Ms Berejiklian said it is important the community continues to come together to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"Our frontline transport staff have been doing an amazing job during this unprecedented time and I urge you to keep giving them your respect and understanding," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Be prepared your trip will look different and please consider all options available before you start your journey."

[ozbob]

News.com.au --> Your horror post-coronavirus commute to work revealed

Sydney's public transport could be thrown into chaos as strict new restrictions on the number of people on trains and buses are enforced.

The NSW government has announced new guidelines to maintain social distancing on public transport as coronavirus restrictions are eased, revealing what will likely cause headaches for Sydney commuters.

Under the new strategy, bus drivers will limit the number of passengers on board to 12, and trains will be limited to 32 people per carriage.

Ferries will also run at a reduced 45 person service, and police will be monitoring train stations for crowds, and will temporarily close train stations that get too busy.

Transport NSW will be using stickers to guide passengers to where they can and cannot be seated, and services will run at a limited capacity with social distancing taking place.

People have been encouraged to drive to work where possible, with the Transport Minister Andrew Constance acknowledging the plan may lead to huge amounts of traffic on the roads.

During her daily coronavirus briefing the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said people who need to get around in peak hour should avoid public transport where they can.

"People who aren't already on the system in the peak, especially on buses and trains, should travel in the off peak," Ms Berejiklian said today.

The government will be looking at installing pop-up parking stations and will provide data on how crowded different public transport services have been each day, so commuters can monitor whether or not they want to use a service.

The government is also talking with private businesses to find a plan to open up unused private car parks in the Sydney CBD for commuters as part of the plan.

"We'll see what the private operators do," Mr Constance said.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/SydneyMetro/status/1262275547679223809

[ozbob]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/new-pop-up-cycleways-to-help-us-get-back-to-work-and-school

New pop up cycleways to help us get back to work and school

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore today announced a number of temporary initiatives across the city to give people more options to safely walk, cycle and commute to work.

These include six new pop up cycleways in key commuter areas across the city and new temporary safe speed limits to promote walking and cycling.

"As the economy starts to open up again we face some real challenges in ensuring people can remain safe while still getting to and from work," Mr Constance said.

"We are already seeing our public transport system at capacity during peak periods with the need to physical distance and we want to offer the community more options to make their journeys safer.

"We've been working closely with City of Sydney Council to identify key public spaces that could be freed up for cycling paths and prioritising pedestrians and cyclists to ensure safety."

In the villages of Camperdown, Ultimo and Bridge Road between Annandale and Pyrmont, new 40km/hr zones will be piloted in conjunction with pop up cycleway measures to provide safe route options for commuters and pedestrians.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the six new pop up cycleways will be rolled out to the west, east and south of the CBD on:

Bridge Road / Pyrmont Bridge Road at Pyrmont;
Pitt St North in the CBD;
Moore Park Road in Paddington / Moore Park;
Dunning Avenue at Rosebery;
Sydney Park Road in Alexandria / Erskineville; and
Henderson Road at Eveleigh.
The Lord Mayor said the NSW Government and the City were also considering plans to deliver temporary cycleways on Oxford St in Paddington/Darlinghurst, King St, College St and Castlereagh St in the CBD, and King St in Newtown.

"Across the world, cities are creating more space for people where it is needed to enable safe physical distancing," the Lord Mayor said.

"When someone rides to work, they take a car off the road or free up space on public transport – this will be even invaluable when people start returning to the City and seek to maintain physical distancing.

"The rapid roll-out of key connections in our cycleway network will improve safety for people riding to the City centre, school and health facilities, and reduce crowding on public transport."

"We're moving forward with trying to get as many people back to work as possible, as every worker is an essential worker in NSW, but we have to be careful in how we do that," Mr Constance said.

"We'll be monitoring these pop up solutions closely and working with other councils across Sydney to identify hot spots where we can implement temporary measures to ensure people can safely distance themselves.

The NSW Government recognises more people than ever are walking or cycling to work or for leisure and fitness. Thanks to the strong economic management of the NSW Government around $600 million will be invested into walking and cycling infrastructure over the next four years. This will bring the NSW Government's total investment to around $1 billion – the largest commitment in the State's history.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1262393445349548039

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1262403944292089858

[ozbob]

SMH --> Sydney bus drivers told not to enforce strict new COVID-19 measures

Sydney's bus drivers are being told to accept all passengers, even if they're at capacity, in spite of the Berejiklian government's new social distancing measures on public transport.

The State Transit directive also told the drivers that no school children should be left at a bus stop "under any circumstances".

On Monday Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the slashing of capacity on trains, buses and ferries and the setting up of temporary car parks at Moore Park and six pop-up cycleways.

Just 12 people will be allowed on a bus and 32 in a train carriage as the government works to maintain strict physical distancing of 1.5 metres on the network. Green stickers will be plastered to seats on public transport, indicating where commuters can sit at a safe distance.

Trains will run at 24 per cent capacity and buses at 14 per cent for the foreseeable future, meaning Sydneysiders may be prevented from entering railway stations as they fill up or watch near-empty buses drive past their stops. School children will be prioritised on these usual services, according to the government.

But as the government announced the strict new measures on Monday, the city's bus drivers were being given a directive by State Transit not to enforce social distancing or turn any passengers away.

In a briefing note obtained by the Herald, bus drivers were told: "You should advise customers when you have reached capacity under the new physical distancing guidelines but do not refuse them travel."

The note went on to say that bus drivers "must not enforce physical distancing," must continue to stop as normal along their route and never leave school children behind at stops.

"Physical distancing may not always be practical, especially in peak periods," the note says.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said there was no fine for breaking physical distancing on public transport.

The new COVID-19 restrictions mean articulated or "bending" buses that usually carry 115 people will now be limited to 11, restricting high-frequency movements across the city.

University of Technology transport expert Mathew Hounsell said the government was likely designing its new "cautious" transport strategy to be deliberately prohibitive to force anyone that didn't have to travel to stay at home.

"I think that might be part of their strategy, and it's reasonable, sometimes restricting supply for an oversupplied good is a way of getting to do things differently," Mr Hounsell said.

"You'll either need five times the buses, or you can only move a fifth of the people. It's simple math."

A bus driver speaking on the condition of anonymity said the advice given to them was based on concerns that public transport workers would be assaulted by frustrated commuters if they were turned away.

"The minister is saying one thing and State Transit is saying another," the driver said of the contrast between the government's public messaging compared to what staff were being told.

"The reason for that is that before we get those screens in the buses, people are scared some commuters will spit on them."

Asked why bus drivers were being told not to enforce social distancing, a TfNSW spokeswoman said frontline transport staff had been doing "an amazing job" and urged commuters to give them "respect and understanding".

People who opt to drive into the city will have the option of free parking at Moore Park and catching a shuttle bus or light rail service into the city. Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said Wentworth Park was also being considered as a temporary parking venue.

Up to 90 per cent of the CBD's private car parks are also empty, according to the government, which is in discussions with businesses as to how to utilise that space.

Bracing for a huge increase in road traffic as people switch from trains to cars, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance pleaded with people to commute outside peak hours.

"I can understand that some frustrations might want to creep in, but that's when people need to step up, show some self-responsibility and do the right thing by the people that are there to serve you," Mr Constance said.

While the government has rolled out about 10 kilometres of temporary cycleways at a cost of $4 million, Paris has installed 650 kilometres, while Britain has committed £2 billion ($3.7 billion) for cycle paths, according to think tank the Commission for Sydney.

Cr Moore welcomed the new cycleways through the city but lamented the fact people would soon need to use Moore Park as a parking lot.

[ozbob]

There is no doubt an element of fear to get some people off public transport but this proposal for 14% normal capacity on buses and 24% on trains is not going work.  Far better to get people to wear masks and let people manage themselves.   Already the bus workers have basically told the Govt to stick it, and as for rail just think about it for a minute.  Someone who commutes from Richmond will have no problem getting on a train, but it is unlikely they will be able to get back home under the planned restrictions.  Something wrong with the NSW Govt.  One poor decision after another ..

Other states are far more rational with their PT.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1262629424085831683

[ozbob]

I just listened to the NSW Transport Minister on radio.  To summarise the 12/bus 32/carriage is really a guide.  He said it is not enforceable, he is hoping that the public will do the right thing when and where they can. A union rep said it is nonsense and will not work as detailed.

[ozbob]

SMH --> One giant car park: Sydney commuters urged to rethink their travel

Sydney will need three square kilometres of car parking if a third of commuters who habitually use public transport start driving to work because of the pandemic, according to new research.

The research by an independent transport consultancy found Sydney's CBD would hit gridlock unless more than 500,000 people who previously used peak hour public transport worked from home, shifted to off-peak travel or cycled and walked.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance spoke with business leaders on Tuesday, urging them to consider letting employees continue working from home.

ANZ Bank, which has a large office in Sydney's CBD, was one of the employers encouraged by Mr Constance to have staff work from home to ensure the public transport system is not overwhelmed.

The government announced strict new social distancing measures on Monday for the public transport network. It is limiting buses to 12 people and train carriages to 32, forcing hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders to reconsider how and if they will return to work as coronavirus restrictions lift.

Bracing for an uptake in driving, the NSW government will provide additional parking at Moore Park from Monday, while consideration is also being given to making Wentworth Park available to motorists.

Dr Elliot Fishman, the director of the Institute for Sensible Transport, which undertook the research, said never before in Australia's history had there been a requirement for peak hour public transport to shed seven out of every eight passengers.

He said it was "difficult to overstate the scale of the challenge" to achieve safe public transport in coming months.

Providing parking for 200,000 former public transport commuters would take up more space than Sydney's entire CBD, said Stephen Hodge, the director of national advocacy with We Ride Australia, a cycling lobby group, which commissioned the institute's research.

Mr Hodge said one car bay equals 15 square metres and 200,000 additional cars driving into central Sydney would require three-square kilometres of car parking.

To provide some idea of the "quantum of changes" required to keep Australians safe, research authors Liam Davies, a senior transport analyst, and Dr Fishman combined a range of census and transport data to look at what needed to be done.

Before the pandemic, about 600,000 people (about 400,000 workers and 200,000 people travelling to shops and schools) used public transport in peak hours.

The new modelling suggests that around 94,000 commuters can safely be accommodated on public transport in peak hours to maintain safe distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure took into account the number of people who couldn't work from home (such as service or hospitality workers) and those who lived more than 10 kilometres away and couldn't cycle or walk to work.

Mr Davies said it was about "protecting public transport for those people who have no other options."

To enable safe distancing, the institute estimated that another 206,462 people - mostly office workers and managers - would need to work from home, very likely continuing what they had been practising in lockdown.

An additional 213,801 would have to avoid taking public transport or stagger trips outside peak hours, and about 83,000 would need to cycle to work to maintain a safe distance.

Without these changes, as many as 200,000 people may decide to drive to work.

"You either have your cities full of cars to an unstainable degree, or you have full public transport, ensuring a really rapid transmission. Neither are scenarios we want," Mr Davies said.

University of Sydney transport expert Geoffrey Clifton said the massive challenge of returning people to work had caught people "off guard" because the lockdown had ended faster than predicted.

"You can't shift everyone who was taking public transport. [They] can't fit any more on the roads. Unless people stay home it's not going to work," said Dr Clifton.

"They can't magic up extra capacity."

To provide safe commuting, the institute has called for public transport to operate on a peak hour timetable throughout the day with incentives for travelling off-peak. It also wants greater investment in cycling lanes.

Wilson Parking chief executive Stephan Wuffli said the company expected motorists to begin returning to the CBD in coming weeks.

"There has been a little bit of return this week, but whether it's enough to call it a trend ... we are hoping to see a return," he said.

The company has been running at only 20 to 30 per cent capacity since mid-March across all Australian cities. Wilson is now offering $15 all-day parking on 13,000 parking bays.

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said the government would keep public sector employees working remotely for "as long as possible".

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Extra staff blitz peak commuter hot spots to protect travellers

Security at public transport hot spots will be bolstered from Monday to enforce social distancing as school resumes and more workers head back to the office.

Hundreds of extra transport staff, including security and marshalling officers, will be placed across NSW at busy interchanges and train stations to keep passengers moving and safe and ease pressure on drivers and frontline workers.

Motorists have also been warned by NSW Transport and Road Minister Andrew Constance to be "hyper-vigilant" around schools with more "kids in and around cars".

Mr Constance said with the transport network expected to come under "enormous strain" from tomorrow, new Marshalling Response and Support Teams will help by monitoring physical distancing and managing crowds.

"This could mean forming lines at bus stops or limiting the amount of people who can enter onto a platform," he said.

"Having those eyes there and guidance for people to be protected is what this is all about.

"We're not putting them there because people are engaging in bad behaviour – we're putting them there to try and maintain the 1.5 metres around people and be there as a reminder for everyone."

Mr Constance said 20 teams will initially be rolled out at key interchanges and transport hubs in Sydney Newcastle, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains.

"We are using data to identify key interchanges where these teams will be deployed including Wynyard, Blacktown, Hurstville and Chatswood," he said.

The state government unveiled the coronavirus transport plan last Monday which includes using green dots to show commuters where to stand and sit.

Buses will be limited to carrying 12 commuters with 32 people allowed in a train carriage.

Mr Constance said the majority of commuters were "excellent" and understood the current constraints.

"Most people get it which is why we said don't travel in peak hour and use your motor vehicle where you can and let's just go through the next phase of the pandemic very cautiously so that transport does not become the catalyst for community transmission," he said.

"If everyone calms the farm and keeps a cool head, there's no reason why this can't work."

The staffing boost comes as The Sunday Telegraph was given the first-look inside the state's COVID transport control centre which monitors patronage on every bus, train, ferry, metro and light rail.

The new system also tracks traffic on roads and the location of cleaning crews.

Transport for NSW COVID Taskforce Incident Management Team leader Karen McCarthy said: "This brings it altogether as one pictures and is also statewide.

"It allows us to prioritise resources and to focus on keeping the network safe for the community, but also safe for our frontline staff."

Mr Constance said school students won't be turned away from any public transport "even if this means physical distancing won't always be possible".

"I've sent a very clear message to operators in the past week that children are to be prioritised – we've got to prioritise their safety and we don't want to see a child isolated anywhere on the transport network," he said.

"I think most adults appreciate and respect that – I know parents do."

Stand by ...

[ozbob]

SMH --> 'Long way to go': Sydney's transport system withstands first test despite bus overcrowding

Sydney's public transport system withstood its first major test since the coronavirus lockdown as hundreds of thousands of students returned to school, but crowding on buses through the city's inner south and Parramatta has been identified as a concern.

More than 280,000 people moved through the city's public transport network during Monday's morning peak hour, only 34,000 more than last week and about 70 per cent less than pre-lockdown. The roads were 3.5 per cent busier than last week, but remain 11 per cent down on average, according to government figures.

However, up to 200 buses across Sydney were running above capacity in the morning peak hour and 100 in the afternoon peak hour.

NSW recorded three new coronavirus cases for the start of the week, bringing the state's total number of confirmed cases to 3090.

While Premier Gladys Berejiklian praised Sydneysiders for heeding the government's advice and staying home, her Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it was too early to tell whether the government's strict new physical distancing measures were a success.

"I'm not going to give any grade until we get through a number of weeks," Mr Constance said.

"We've got a long way to go and this is here to stay in terms of the pandemic so we've just got to be able to manage that and keep focused."

Mr Constance was relatively pleased with the performance of the public transport system, but he said several people were unable to get on buses at Green Square in the morning and named Blacktown as a hotspot for commuter crowding. Some commuters were also left behind on the F3 ferry route.

Real-time transport data website Anytrip estimated up to 200 buses across Sydney were running past capacity at 8.30am, with much of the crowding occurring in the city's south-west on services running to and from Parramatta.

By 4.30pm, more than 100 services were again indicating crowding across the city.

The M90 between Burwood and Liverpool, the 905 between Bankstown and Fairfield and the M91 between Hurstville and Parramatta were all services that appeared to struggle at points with physical distancing during the day.

Mr Constance said more than 100 extra bus services had been added to the network in anticipation for Monday's peak hour commute and more could be added to address hotspots as they were identified.

Last week the government worked quickly last week to install a temporary car park at Moore Park for an anticipated overflow of vehicles being driven into the city. Less than 10 ended up parking there.

Opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns said the government should add more services to the network by engaging the private sector to move greater numbers of commuters around the city at a safe distance.

"A public transport plan that sees the government telling a million people not to use public transport is clearly an issue," he said.

"It's simply not sustainable and won't get people to work over the difficult next few months."

Ms Berejiklian said early indications suggested the network handled its first post-lockdown test well, and hinted that physical distancing of 12 per bus and 32 per train carriage could be eased.

"There are opportunities ... there are options we have but initially we wanted to take a very conservative approach and we'll keep working with health experts," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Our public transport system to date doesn't seem to have buckled under the pressure...it's very early days but I can't thank the community enough for taking the government's advice."

While Mr Constance was pleased to see more parents driving their children to school, the NSW Department of Education estimated that only 86 per cent of students went to school on Monday.

[ozbob]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/coronavirus/coronavirus-guide-to-what-you-can-and-cant-do-in-nsw/news-story/2cdbb4a21c54e16c0aa1450fd94567c1

... Transport Minister Andrew Constance today announced more than 3,300 extra public transport services to try and alleviate concerns about physical distancing.

"Looking at the data, it is clear the majority of people have listened and made smart travel choices so far and we thank them for this," Mr Constance said.

"However, there has been a slight increase in peak hour travel in the past two weeks and we don't want to see that continuing," he said.

The extra services include 250 train services, while most of the new timetable will be buses, particularly in the west.

Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins echoed the state government's calls for everyone to stay at home if they can, and not to travel during peak time unless absolutely necessary.

"Tradies, health care workers, shift workers and school kids need to travel at specific times of the day which is why we have targeted some of these extra services for them.

"Our strong advice remains that if you are not already using public transport during the peak times, please do not start now."

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Sydney trains, buses: City set for return as public transport limits double

Extra commuters will be allowed on public transport from July 1, with an easing of strict COVID-19 capacity limits.

Waratah trains will be able to carry 68 customers per carriage - more than double the current limits. Most buses will see their capacity almost double to 23.

A freshwater ferry will be able to carry 450 customers, up from 245.

The Premier said commuters should still try to avoid peak hour, if they can, but the restrictions are being eased as more people prepare to return to work.

"From 1 July, half of the capacity on public transport will resume," she said.

Transport minister Andrew Constance said the capacity boost means the network will be able to cater for 1.3 million commuters across the day, if journeys are spread out.

Meanwhile, three new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed by NSW health yesterday. All were in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

New data revealed last week shows NSW residents are venturing onto public transport in growing numbers as the state moves out of lockdown, sparking concerns about how the system will cope in the future.

Ms Berejiklian continued to encourage commuters to stagger their shift times. Buses and trains would continue to be cleaned at least thrice daily.

"This is pleasing for those people who work in places like the CBD or people who do rely on public transport," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.

"We're still encouraging people to travel outside the peak where possible, but now we will have extra capacity in the peak, almost doubling capacity.

Opal card usage data from Transport for NSW shows the number of people boarding bus, train, light rail and ferry services across Sydney spiked last month.

The data seen by The Daily Telegraph shows public transport use doubled on some services as kids returned to school and restaurants reopened last month.

Train use alone rose more than 52 per cent in May compared to the month prior with than 9 million people boarding NSW Trainlink and Sydney Train services as confidence in the flattening of the curve grew.

In terms of individual services, the T4 Eastern Suburbs Illawarra Line was by far the busiest train line in May, with 1,832,000 trips undertaken, followed by the T1 Western Line at 1,391,000 and T1 North Shore Line with 1,067,000.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Park line took the biggest hit from COVID-19, becoming the least used train line in the state, with just 15,000 trips, even less than the Southern Highlands Line, which had 22,000 commuters.

The overall optimism about the flattening of the curve was also felt in the use of the state's buses, with 7.7 million passengers logging their trips with Opal, an increase of 52 per cent on April.

The most used bus services for May were the CBD and Eastern Suburbs services, followed by the Inner West, Strathfield and Burwood region and the North Shore, Chatswood and Epping bus services.

Sydney's famous ferry service also welcomed thousands of commuters, with 203,000 people boarding their services - a more than 120 per cent increase on April.

The popular F1 Manly service had the most commuters, followed by the F4 Cross Harbour service and the F3 Parramatta River.

Light rail usage across the Sydney and Newcastle services also surged - a whopping 90 per cent jump since April, with 443,000 people tapping their cards on the service.

The Sydney Metro was a favourite for commuters with almost half a million trips, followed by the L1 Dulwich Hill line which had 146,605 trips, followed by the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford.

While Opal card use across Sydney's bus, train, light rail and ferry services has increased in recent months, overall use is still down by at least 70 per cent compared to business as usual levels in May last year.

Professor Graham Currie, public transport expert at Monash University said this presents a problem when more people venture outside when lockdowns are lifted in July.

Unless people continue to work from home, most commuters will have "no choice" but to breach social distancing rules on transport, he warned.

"To some extent the policy which has been set is unrealistic. It's designed in a way which will make breaking social distancing highly likely," he said.

With 60 per cent of commuters in Sydney CBD travelling by public transport, he says the only solution is for most employees to continue to work from home, find another way to get to work or for planners to incentivise non-peak travel.

Another transport expert, Professor David Levinson from the University of Sydney, said the only way to maintain social distancing if demand grows is for the virus to be eradicated - and capacity limits removed.

"If there is no more COVID-19 in NSW, we should not be constrained by social distancing. People concerned can of course wear masks and reduce talking on buses and trains," he said.

The figures come as Peter Khoury, spokesman for the NRMA flags concerns the city's roads could become gridlocked if public transport levels do not return to their pre-COVID levels soon.

He said the reduction in public transport usage has been felt heavily with increased traffic - a problem that could be worsened when lockdowns are fully lifted in July.

"The limits on public transport will be a burden on the road network and we're going to have to carry more of a share until we get back to some normality. That's going to require considerable patience from drivers," he said.

SYDNEY'S BUSIEST PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES BY OPAL TRIP (MAY, 2020)
Train

1. T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra - 1,832,000

2. T1 Western - 1,391,000

3. T1 North Shore - 1,067,000

4. T2 Leppington - 952,000

5. T8 Airport and South - 910,000

6. T3 Bankstown - 789,000

7. T2 Inner West 667,000

8. T9 Northern - 615,000

9. Central Coast Newcastle - 381,000

10. T5 Cuymberland - 223,000

11. Hunter Line 25,000

12. Southern Highlands 22,000

13. T8 Olympic Park 15,000

Buses

1. Sydney CBD and Eastern Suburbs - 1, 672,000

2. Inner West and Strathfield, Olympic Park - 1,635,000

3. North Shore, Chatswood and Epping - 839,000

4. Northern Beaches - 821,000

5. Penrith, Mount Druitt and Richmond - 498,000

6. Castle Hill, Blacktown - 510,000

7. Fairfield, Liverpool - 465,000

8. Bankstown - 345,000

9. Glenfield - 161000

10. Terrey Hills - 141,000

11. Campbelltown - 139,000

12. Hornsby, Berwora and Gordon - 96,000

Light Rail

1. Sydney Metro - 449,284

2. L1 Dulwich Hill Line - 147,000

3. L2 Randwick - 144,0000

4. L3 Kingsford - 133,000

5. Newcastle Light Rail - 19,652

Ferry

1. F1 Manly - 59,599

2. F4 Cross Harbour 53,565

3. F3 Parramatta River 29,916

4. 118 Newcastle - 151,131

5. F6 Mosman Bay - 13,082

6. F8 Cockatoo Island - 10,283

7. F5 Neutral Bay - 9,897

8. F2 Taronga Zoo - 7,992

9. F7 Double Bay - 3,936

[ozbob]

SMH --> 'It could take years': Slow recovery predicted for public transport

Public transport users in Sydney are slowly returning with a surge of 10 million commuters in June but experts warn it may take years before passenger numbers go back to pre-coronavirus levels.

There were 28 million passenger journeys made across the network last month, more than double the 12 million trips taken during lockdown in April. But there are still plenty of empty seats on public transport as 32 million fewer trips were made on buses, trains, trams and ferries in June this year compared to the same period last year.

Barring a second lockdown, patronage is expected to slowly increase over coming months, but some experts predict it may never resemble the sometimes overcrowded pre-coronavirus levels.

"I don't think things will ever return to quite what they were," University of Technology transport expert Mathew Hounsell said.

"There has been a significant behavioural change among the professionals in the CBD, as a lot of people realised they can work from home."

He added that more people would choose to walk, cycle or drive to work in coming months amid fear of community transmission of COVID-19 on public transport.

Patronage for buses is less than half (47 per cent) of what it was in the previous two years on average and train patronage is down 39 per cent, he said.

Opal trips fell by more than 30 million between March and April alone, with more than half of the drop on the city's trains. However the number of trips went from 18.9 million in May to 28 million in June.

Professor Stephen Greaves from Sydney University's Institute of Transport and Logistics said it could take years before patronage recovers.

"We can only speculate about a [coronavirus] second wave [however] there will be a dip in July through school holidays with people going away, but I think it's going to come back far more slowly," Professor Greaves said.

"It'll be a long time before we get back to those levels we saw a year ago ... we could be talking years."

While trains were running at just over 40 per cent compared to June last year, buses had more than half of the usual commuters on board, Transport for NSW data shows.

Buses in the city's inner west and eastern suburbs, as well as the Hills district and lower north shore, have remained quieter than those in Sydney's outer suburbs, especially the south-west.

Commuter numbers on buses in Liverpool, Punchbowl, Bankstown and Blacktown were between 60 and 65 per cent through June, compared to the same time last year, while the Inner West (48 per cent) and the eastern suburbs (42 per cent) were well below 2019 levels.

Professor Greaves said people living and working in the east and inner-city had more transport options to get to work compared to those in Sydney's west.

He added that there was likely a higher proportion of people able to work from home in the inner suburbs equating to less people using public transport.

A lack of tourists was likely affecting passenger numbers across the city and east as travellers were not visiting places like the Opera House and Bondi Beach.

The T5 Cumberland line, servicing a belt from Richmond to Campbelltown, had the strongest shift to normalcy in Sydney through June, running at about 65 per cent of what it was in June 2019.

The T7 Olympic Park line remains the quietest, with just 19 per cent of the patronage it had in June 2019.

While public transport remains quiet, the city's roads have filled quickly, with traffic down just 7 per cent across the last week of June. And for the month of June, traffic was down just 5 per cent on last year's level.

Ferries are running at just one-third of the Opal trips they were recording in June last year, with Taronga Zoo the most impacted route.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/RTBUnion/status/1295475241834037248

" ... Mr Babineau said 2300 STA bus drivers will stop work for 48 hours from next Monday if the government does not introduce mandatory mask use for commuters when levels exceed the social distancing requirements, among other safety protocols. ... "

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney commuters gain 1200 more bus, light rail and ferry services for summer $

Sydney's public transport users will have access to about 1200 extra services a week under a new timetable to handle the surge of commuters expected to return to offices, shopping strips and beaches from December.

As the NSW government pushes for workers to return to deserted CBDs, Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the timetable would include 600 weekly night bus services between 9pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday. ...

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW Media Release

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/extra-services-make-summer-travel-a-breeze

Extra services make summer travel a breeze

24 Nov 2020

More than 1,200 extra services will help keep customers COVID safe across the Sydney transport network, as people continue to return to the CBD and move around this summer.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the new summer timetable will kick off from December 1, and will allow more people to get to popular public places like shopping centres and beaches.

"More than 1,000 bus services will be added to the 3,300 extra services we added during the COVID pandemic, to help commuters enjoy all the city and surrounds have to offer this summer," Mr Constance said.

"900 of the weekly services will be added on Friday and Saturday nights to help support Sydney's night time economy, which is still recovering from the COVID crisis.

"An extra 236 weekend services will run to Bondi, Coogee and Manly beaches, while ferry frequency will also increase to meet current physical distancing requirements."

Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said hundreds of extra staff will be retained for the summer to help customers move safely around the network.

"We are continuing to do everything we can to support customers travelling on the public transport network, with increased cleaning, green physical distancing dots, and additional staff all still in place," Mr Collins said.

"I thank all the commuters and businesses who have worked with us from day one and continue to work with us to keep services safe and moving."

Breakdown of the extra summer services:

600 weekly night bus services between 9pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday.
300 weekly Nightrider services from midnight to 4.30am on Friday and Saturday.
236 extra weekend services will run to Bondi, Coogee and Manly beach.
70 weekly light rail services on the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford Lines from 7pm on Wednesday to Sunday.
Manly Ferry Service uplifted from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes during the day until 6pm.
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[ozbob]

Masks compulsory on Sydney public transport from midnight tonight.  $200 fines for non compliance from Monday 4th Jan 2021.

Children under 12 exempt as well as others with appropriate medical reasons.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-australia-live-news-infected-victorians-trigger-nsw-scare/news-story/22b5ce0907a96c04d2cf0383e2529146?keyevent=11.15am

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1345478805390024705

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1417133488017268745

[ozbob]

News.com.au --> Sydney bus drivers fear network at breaking point with hundreds in quarantine

Bus drivers fear Sydney's public transport network is at breaking point, with hundreds of their colleagues forced into isolation and others blindsided by fast-changing coronavirus rules.

A senior transport union official has warned customers will end up bearing the brunt of the pandemic-induced crisis.

David Babineau, the Rail Tram and Bus Union's secretary of the NSW Bus and Tram Division, said he was stunned by fresh restrictions announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday.

Authorised workers will only be permitted to leave one of the 12 Covid-19 hot spot local government areas if rapid antigen testing is implemented at their work-sites or if they have their first vaccine dose by August 30.

Mr Babineau said union officials, transport bureaucrats met after Friday's press conference and have since been scrambling to adjust to the "fly by night proclamation". ...

[ozbob]

7 News Less train services in Sydney during the Omicron outbreak
30th December 2021

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1490695874900824066

" ... Workers returning to the office may benefit from cut-price fares on public transport, the state Transport Minister said, as it was confirmed public servants would be ordered back to the workplace this month.

David Elliott said he would consider subsidised fares as an extra incentive to get passengers back on public transport.

Less than two months after vowing he wouldn't run "ghost trains" as Omicron saw passengers scurry from the city's public transport, Mr Elliott said "all cards are on the table" when it comes to bumping up patronage as Sydney recovers from Covid. ... "