Article: State Transit boosts efficiency but not buses for commuters

[somebody]

State Transit boosts efficiency but not buses for commuters

Date
    February 18, 2013 - 4:12PM

Jacob Saulwick
Transport Reporter

Poll: How should the savings gained from cutting 'dead running' on Sydney buses be utilised?

Save the cash - we need it to fund other things

    23%
Let's use the buses and drivers for more routes

    77%

Total votes: 655.

Disclaimer:

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

The number of bus drivers and buses needed to run existing services in Sydney is being cut, but the savings will not be redirected into more buses for commuters.

New route plans created by State Transit, the government-owned bus company, will soon allow it to run the same number of daily services as currently exist in Sydney but with 36 fewer buses and 86 fewer drivers.

But those plans have angered the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which says the government should turn those buses and drivers into extra daily services. With 36 extra buses, more than 350 extra bus services a day could be put on in Sydney.

The changes themselves are uncontroversial and long overdue. They will allow State Transit to cut the number of buses that run "dead," or empty, by changing where they begin their routes, meaning commuters should not notice a difference.

For instance, some buses that start in Sydney's north are stored overnight in State Transit's Tempe depot, meaning drivers begin their day taking empty buses across town.

State Transit estimates its "route optimisation" program will save 38,000 kilometres a week in "dead running".

"Overall, 36 fewer buses and 86 fewer drivers will be needed," a spokesman said. "This will occur over time by natural attrition. No bus driver will lose their job."

But those "savings" have angered the union, which says they should be tipped back into the public transport network.

"If you can save 35 buses by being more efficient in the system, those buses need to be put back into struggling, overcrowded corridors," the secretary of its bus and tram division, Chris Preston, said.

Gary Way, the division's president, said the route changes "should have happened years ago" and accused the minister of breaking a promise not to cut frontline resources.

If they were reinvested in the network, another 36 buses could be used to add as many as two new metro bus routes.

State Transit is under pressure to cut costs as it faces an open threat of privatisation. The organisation's chief executive, Peter Rowley, has already tried to renegotiate a number of conditions included in its most recent workplace agreement with staff.

Asked why the savings were not being reinvested in new services for commuters, the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said: "I have been very clear that I expect State Transit to become more efficient and deliver improved services to customers.

"State Transit's advice to me is no driver will lose their job as a result of this initiative, and the bottom line is that as we continue to deliver more services over time, we'll be needing more frontline staff to deliver those services."

State Transit has been talking about implementing these sort of "route optimisation" plans since at least 2007.

Previously, the bus operator planned routes separately at each depot. But routes are now planned across bus regions.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/state-transit-boosts-efficiency-but-not-buses-for-commuters-20130218-2emxw.html#ixzz2LEIwhVtF

Remember when BT/TL were crowing about reducing dead running by 600 000km p.a. i.e. 11538km per week?

[SurfRail]

State Transit's a weird one.  They virtually never expand their fleet, and as a result they don't run extra services, and as a result their patronage is fairly stagnant.  Most of the real increases in recent times have come from taking over other operators, not natural increase.

They still have a LOT of old buses to retire and replace though, and they aren't delivering many more vehicles than BT do per year.

[ozbob]

From the Sydney Morning Herald click here!

Saving on bus cuts won't help the public

Saving on bus cuts won't help the public
February 19, 2013 Jacob Saulwick

THE number of bus drivers and buses needed to run existing services in Sydney is being slashed, but the savings will not be redirected into more buses for commuters.

New route plans created by State Transit, the government-owned bus company, will soon allow it to run the same number of daily services as currently exist in Sydney but with 36 fewer buses and 86 fewer drivers.

But those plans have angered the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which says the government should turn those buses and drivers into extra daily services. With 36 extra buses, more than 350 extra bus services a day could be put on in Sydney.

The changes themselves are uncontroversial and long overdue. They will allow State Transit to cut the number of buses that run ''dead,'' or empty, by changing where they begin their routes.

Some buses that start in Sydney's north are stored overnight in State Transit's Tempe depot, meaning drivers begin their day taking empty buses across town.

''Overall, 36 fewer buses and 86 fewer drivers will be needed,'' a spokesman said. ''This will occur over time by natural attrition. No bus driver will lose their job.''

But those ''savings'' have angered the union, which says they should be tipped back into the public transport network.

''If you can save 35 buses by being more efficient in the system, those buses need to be put back into struggling, overcrowded corridors,'' the secretary of its bus and tram division, Chris Preston, said.

Gary Way, the division's president, said the route changes ''should have happened years ago''.

If they were reinvested in the network, another 36 buses could be used to add as many as two new metro bus routes.

State Transit is under pressure to cut costs as it faces an open threat of privatisation.

Asked why the savings were not being reinvested in new services for commuters, the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said: ''I have been very clear that I expect State Transit to become more efficient and deliver improved services to customers.''

[somebody]

Asked why the savings were not being reinvested in new services for commuters, the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said: ''I have been very clear that I expect State Transit to become more efficient and deliver improved services to customers.''

What sort of answer is that?  If she'd just left it at "more efficient" it would make sense.  Actually she's saying that they shouldn't deliver improved services to customers.