Sydney - bus

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Bus running late again? Blame it on city traffic

Sydney buses are running late more often, and falling further behind a goal set for 95 per cent of them to run on time across the network.

Performance targets in the NSW budget reveal only 90 per cent of timetabled bus services started their trip on time this year, continuing a slide over the past two years.

Traffic in the central business district is the biggest cause of the worsening bus performance, and the drivers' union has complained that schedules are so frequently behind that hundreds of drivers finishing routes in the city are having to forgo toilet breaks to try to catch up.

Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said the fall in performance was partly due to the introduction of a tougher measure of bus punctuality, which now monitors only the morning peak from 6am to 10am ...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bus-running-late-again-blame-it-on-city-traffic-20130622-2opaj.html#ixzz2X0SuCJa6

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Impossible timetables, defects and falling safety standards dogging private Sydney buses, says union

Impossible timetables, defects and falling safety standards dogging private Sydney buses, says union
By Jess Kidd

Updated Sat 24 May 2014, 8:02pm AEST

Impossible timetables, mechanical defects and falling safety standards are just a few of the complaints being levelled at the private companies that rule the bus routes across greater Sydney.

The New South Wales Government contracts private companies to operate bus routes in 15 regions that cover the greater Sydney metropolitan area.

The State Government used to negotiate contracts directly with the incumbent operator in each region. But in early 2012 it switched to a competitive tendering process and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) says that process had led to cost cutting and reduced safety standards.

TWU assistant state secretary Michael Aird says competitive tendering has simply resulted in a race to the bottom.

"The focus has been on cutting costs," he said.

"We've seen companies that have provided services in these areas for long periods of time lose out to new companies that have come in and heavily undercut them."

The TWU has surveyed 285 drivers working for private companies.

It found 55 per cent of drivers said they had reported serious maintenance issues which were unresolved the next time they drove their buses.

Ninety per cent of drivers reported feeling pressured to drive unsafely in order to meet on-time running schedules.

Almost 80 per cent of drivers said they had been abused by customers because of unrealistic timetables, while 67 per cent of drivers said they did not have access to clean and hygienic staff facilities.

Dave Pola has been a driver for a private bus company for 25 years and says he hears horror stories from other drivers.

"They're very concerned about the state of some of the buses that they're driving," he said.

"They [report] the defects and they'll come back here [and tell me] they didn't fix it."
Bus companies penalised if they miss on-time running targets

The bus companies are required to meet a 95 per cent on-time running target and are penalised if they fall short.

Mr Pola says many timetables are simply unrealistic and says he has heard of drivers being hauled in front of management or questioned over their bus radios to explain why they are running late.

"The pressure comes straight back to the driver," he said.

"You have to meet those on-time running commitments and the driver feels his job is under threat if he can't do it."

The TWU says it has heard reports of a bus being run unregistered for a month and numerous buses found with defects.

Mr Aird says it is putting drivers and the public at risk.

"There is potential here for a catastrophe," he said. "There is potential for deaths and injuries on our roads."

The TWU is urging the State Government to review the competitive tender process in order to protect drivers and passengers.

But Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has defended the tender process, saying the new contracts provide higher standards of service for customers and greater value for taxpayers.

In a statement, a spokesperson said TfNSW sets the frequency of service for all routes and approves operators' timetables.

The spokesperson also said all buses are required to pass the Roads and Maritime Services Heavy Vehicle Inspection Scheme and are inspected twice a year for safety.

Bus contracts require operators to report all maintenance and safety issues to TfNSW monthly

[ozbob]

News.com.au  --> Bus blitz uncovers 91 defects in NSW

[ozbob]

NSW Government --> 360 new weekly public transport services for Sydney

The new bus services are set to benefit bus customers on busy routes across Sydney's Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore and Northern Beaches.

The new bus services include:

    104 new services a week on the 348 route from Wolli Creek to Bondi Junction
    43 new services a week on the 418 route from Burwood to Bondi Junction
    70 new services a week on the 425 route from Tempe to Dulwich Hill
    10 new services a week on the E50 route from Milsons Point to Manly
    10 new services a week on the E65 route from Wynyard to South Curl Curl
    44 new services a week on the 236 route from Spit Junction to South Mosman Wharf
    83 new services a week on the 301 route from Eastgardens to the City

Additionally, the 225 bus route between Cremorne Wharf and Neutral Bay Wharf is running for extended hours on Sundays for customers connecting with ferry services.

The 362 bus will resume its weekend service between Bondi and Coogee beaches this week, providing transport for customers visiting Sculpture by the Sea as well as thousands of beachgoers over the summer.

The new weekly transport services will take the total number of services introduced across NSW to 10,500, since March 2011. This figure includes an extra 9,200 weekly bus services, 1,190 train weekly services and 220 weekly ferry services.

To find out more about extra services and timetable information, customers can visit the NSW transport Information website (link is external), or check the real time apps, available from the App Store and Google Play.

[ozbob]

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects-bus-priority-program

Bus Priority Program

[ozbob]

^

Non radial focus   

[#Metro]

sounds like bus reform to me

Bus Priority Program
The NSW Government released Sydney's Bus Future in 2013. This is the long term plan to redesign the bus network to meet customer needs now and into the future. Sydney's Bus Future identifies the city's most important bus routes, as the focus for investment in bus priority and more frequent services. The Bus Priority Program supports Sydney's Bus Future by delivering projects that make bus services faster and more reliable. Measures include red bus lanes, bus priority at traffic lights, changed parking restrictions and clearways, and relocating bus stops. Find more information at Bus Priority Program External websiteincluding key projects under development by Roads and Maritime Services.

Time to go Mr Quirk...

[ozbob]

^ Shows again what a backwater Brisbane is in reality hey?

[SurfRail]

^

Non radial focus   

Actually it's very radial, just that the busiest corridors focus as much on Parramatta as the CBD and so there is a bit of a basket-weave happening.

[ozbob]

Plenty of cross connections .. that is high frequency ..

[James]

To be honest, the high-frequency network is naturally going to be mostly a radial one, because that is where the bulk of passengers wish to go. I mean, even our own proposal for Brisbane is very radial - there are only a few frequent crosstown routes.

Brisbane is being put to shame, now even Sydney is beating us, and it is a transport basket case. Oh dear...

[ozbob]

The case for Brisbane bus reform gets stronger every day ... 

A very rational plan for Sydney.  What's offering in Brisbane?  Bus jam and air buses ... 

[SurfRail]

But the network isn't broken.  Mayor says so.

[ozbob]

The Daily Telegraph --> Bus drivers speeding across NSW putting lives at risk

[ozbob]

Twitter

Transport for NSW ‏@TransportforNSW 50m

Teams hit city streets soon to take questions about 4 October CBD bus changes. http://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au  #SydneyCBD

[#Metro]

How hard is it to run this in Brisbane ^

[SurfRail]

The problem up here is that they seem to dragoon anybody at DTMR who doesn't look too busy into wearing a green shirt and heading out with an Ipad, but with little to no understanding of what it is they are meant to be informing people about (hence the tablet).

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> New bus network passes first test

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Bus services shuffled for Sydney CBD

[ozbob]

Northern Beaches BRT service - ' B-Line '

--> http://b-line.transport.nsw.gov.au/

The NSW Government is taking action to deliver transport improvements for the Northern Beaches, including a program of works to deliver kerbside Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Mona Vale to the Sydney CBD.

The Northern Beaches BRT service will be called B-Line and is scheduled to start operating in late 2017. The B-Line will provide more frequent and reliable services for customers travelling between the Northern Beaches and the Sydney CBD.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Mike Baird's B-Line rapid bus routes for northern beaches

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Fancy a 'cool and smart' bus stop on a scorching hot day? It could be here next summer

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney Airport: New buses off the radar as road congestion worsens

[#Metro]

Sydney needs major bus reform as well. Similar issues as Brisbane.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> NSW state budget 2016: $108m for new buses and routes

[ozbob]

Bus drivers who keep the city moving are celebrated as unsung heroes in new video exhibitionhttps://t.co/7sNVB6WV4i pic.twitter.com/diHM4w4Usv

— ABC News Sydney (@abcnewsSydney) July 22, 2016

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> More buses to stop travelling into Sydney CBD in bid to ease congestion

A number of bus routes from Sydney's north will no longer extend to the CBD, forcing commuters to switch to other services earlier in their journeys to get to the city.

Transport officials say the changes to the network from next Monday are aimed at helping reduce congestion on roads in the CBD during peak periods. ...

[ozbob]

Bus fire closes all lanes on Sydney Harbour Bridge https://t.co/bzgv100tQ7 via @smh

— Matt O'Sullivan (@Mattonews) September 15, 2016

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Bus fire closes all lanes on Sydney Harbour Bridge

[#Metro]

Wow, that looks like a movie scene!

Why don't they just tax pollution instead? No need to put chemicals in the fuel that causes risk of explosions like this.

The whole thing is a fireball!

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Thousands of buses remain on NSW roads without fire suppression systems

Almost 2700 buses in Sydney and across NSW have yet to be fitted with fire suppression systems that could have avoided a blaze that erupted on a bus carrying 30 passengers over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Thursday.

While good progress had been made on retro-fitting government-run buses with fire safety systems, Transport Minister Andrew Constance conceded on Friday that a multi-million-dollar contract to do the same with 2400 privately-run buses has yet to be awarded.

The revelations about buses that operate on school routes and regular services in greater Sydney come more than a year after Mr Constance announced the program to make vehicles safer.

Two passengers and the driver of a State Transit bus were taken to hospital on Thursday night suffering from smoke inhalation, following dramatic scenes that brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the harbour bridge in the evening peak.

It was the 36th bus fire in NSW so far this year, raising the prospect that a spike in incidents recorded in 2015 will be surpassed.

Mr Constance said a request for proposals for fire suppression systems for privately run buses had been issued in April and he defended the time it was taking to retrofit the private buses.

"We have to maintain a transport network," he said. "We have to work with private sector operators. There's 27 different bus types which are going to be required to be retrofitted in conjunction with the private sector."

Mr Constance said the tender would be issued next month and the expectation was that all buses would be retrofitted by the end of 2017.

"I'll be doing everything I can to expedite it," he said.

The two-decade-old bus that burst into flames on Thursday did not yet have a fire suppression system. The system works by detecting a fire or heat within a bus engine bay and activating a high pressure mist.

About 265 of the State Transit Authority's 2700-strong fleet still need to have fire suppression systems installed by the government's deadline of the end of the year.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union Bus said the government's timetable for fitting fire suppression systems "isn't good enough".

"It is too dangerous to have buses on the road that don't have these simple fire suppression mechanisms installed. Passengers and drivers can't wait any longer," the secretary of the union's bus division, Chris Preston, said.

"This [fire on Thursday] could and should have been avoided."

The suppression systems give more time for passengers and drivers to escape vehicles, while also increasing the chances of confining damage to buses.

Mr Preston said it was too early to draw conclusions about the cause of the latest fire but many of incidents in the past had started in the engine bays at the rear of buses.

"The buses run constantly and it gets hot. We are also now approaching summer, which makes a difference," he said.

Last year NSW had a significant spike in bus fires. According to the Office of Transport Safety Investigations, 40 bus fires were recorded in 2015, compared with 29 in 2014 and 28 a year earlier.

Of those fires last year, 40 per cent started in the engine bays of buses. Fires starting in the brakes of buses also increased markedly, rising from six in 2013 to 17 last year.

The state safety investigators are expected to provide a report to government about the latest bus fire within a couple of days.

Mr Preston said the union had been calling for the problem to be fixed for years, and the "public deserves answers as to why the government is still sitting on their hands as buses burn".

"It is beyond belief that we are still seeing our public buses catching on fire on our roads putting passengers, drivers, pedestrians and other road users at enormous risk," he said.

Mr Constance said there was "no systemically, single identified reason for the ignition of a fire in a bus".

He described the fire that engulfed the bus on Thursday as "horrendous" and thanked those involved in the emergency response, including the 35-year-old bus driver whose actions he said were "above and beyond the norm".

State Transit chief executive Peter Rowley said the bus at the centre of the latest incident had been maintained to the required standards and had its most recent major service on July 22.

It was due for a visual inspection of water, fuel and oils this week.

"There is no fault identified with this vehicle prior to the fire," he said.

Mr Rowley said fires were "extremely difficult to predict or diagnose".

"Our buses are safe," he said. "There are no systemic issues with regards to our buses that would warrant the removal of the buses [from the road]."

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Big companies ready for privatisation of lucrative Sydney bus contracts

Large companies are lining up to win Sydney's most lucrative bus contracts as expectations grow that the Baird government will open  to tender services that have been run for decades by the heavily unionised State Transit Authority.

While Keolis Downer and Transit Systems are eager to bid, any decision to allow them and other private operators to compete for contracts now held by the government-owned STA is likely to meet stiff opposition from unions. They fear it will lead to cuts to drivers' wages and conditions, as well as bus routes deemed unprofitable.

The contract to operate a new bus corridor known as the "B-Line" from Sydney's CBD to the lower north shore and northern beaches from next year is also expected to be opened up to private companies.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Keolis Downer chief executive Campbell Mason said the company was interested in bidding for the STA bus operations if those contracts came up for private tender next year.

Large companies are lining up to win Sydney's most lucrative bus contracts as expectations grow that the Baird government will open  to tender services that have been run for decades by the heavily unionised State Transit Authority.

While Keolis Downer and Transit Systems are eager to bid, any decision to allow them and other private operators to compete for contracts now held by the government-owned STA is likely to meet stiff opposition from unions. They fear it will lead to cuts to drivers' wages and conditions, as well as bus routes deemed unprofitable.

The contract to operate a new bus corridor known as the "B-Line" from Sydney's CBD to the lower north shore and northern beaches from next year is also expected to be opened up to private companies.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Keolis Downer chief executive Campbell Mason said the company was interested in bidding for the STA bus operations if those contracts came up for private tender next year.

"We are a very willing participant in the privatisation process and looking forward to that franchising program moving ahead," he said.

"We believe there is an improvement in customer service and cost savings that can be generated through franchising, as has been demonstrated elsewhere."

The Tourism and Transport Forum has spearheaded a push for Sydney's entire bus network to be placed in the hands of private operators.

But the union representing thousands of Sydney bus drivers says it fears private operators will slash bus services "to put money into the hands of shareholders".

"We would be worried about the cuts in services, the cuts in maintenance and the cuts in wages and conditions of drivers who live in the most expensive city in Australia," the secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union's bus division, Chris Preston, said.

"We would run a very loud campaign if the government said they were to privatise STA [bus contracts]. It has been in public hands for about 80 years."

While private companies such as Hillsbus and Transdev operate bus services in Sydney, STA-run Sydney Buses still carries the majority of the city's passengers.

The STA contracts cover the CBD, the northern beaches, Paramatta, the eastern suburbs and south to suburbs such as Mascot.

The government-owned authority has 12 bus depots in Sydney and about 3700 drivers, almost all of whom are members of the RTBU.

Sydney has become a key market for Keolis Downer to target because of its booming population and growing demands for public transport. "Hence our appetite for the STA franchising as that rolls forward," Mr Mason said.

The company is a joint venture between Australian engineering company Downer EDI and French transport giant Keolis, and it is in the race to win the right to be the sole operator of Newcastle's bus, light rail and ferry services.

The Newcastle contract has been regarded as a template for what the Baird government will consider rolling out elsewhere in the state.

Brisbane's Transit Systems has also bid for the Newcastle contract and is eager to do the same in Sydney if the STA contracts are opened up.

"If the State Transit Authority of NSW decide to competitively tender bus contacts to private operators, Transit Systems would readily consider submitting a bid," Transit Systems chief executive Clint Feuerherdt said.

Transport for NSW said a decision had yet to be made on the STA contracts, which would expire in mid-2018. The contracts had an option for the transport authority to extend them for up to two years, a spokesman said.

The "proposed service approach" for the operation of the B-Line bus services to the northern suburbs was also still under consideration, he said.

While Transit Systems already operates bus services in western Sydney, Keolis Downer is yet to break into that part of the market in Australia's largest city despite operating buses in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

Keolis executive chairman Jean-Pierre Farandou said the company operated many public passenger networks across the world, including bus and light rail services, and was "used to working with unions".

"We have developed methods to understand better the needs of the customer and to deliver more personal services to them," he said.

Mr Farandou, who recently visited Australia, said its international software could be used to help reduce the cost of scheduling services and "offer better value for money".

"'We are very keen to work in Sydney or NSW in general because we are in most of the major cities in Australia – Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth – but we are not in Sydney," he said.

Keolis Downer runs Melbourne's Yarra Trams and the light rail line on the Gold Coast.

While a consortium that includes Transdev and Alstom has won the contract to run Sydney's new $2.1 billion tram line to the south east, Keolis Downer is interested in playing a role in the light rail line planned for Parramatta.

Mr Mason said the company was eager to see what procurement model was chosen for the delivery of the Parramatta project.

"Certainly it is a project we are very interested in operating," he said.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Safety fears rise after another Sydney bus fire

A Sydney bus which caught fire on Friday morning did not have a fire safety system installed and has raised pressure on the NSW government to race to have the suppression systems fitted in all public and private buses.

The city-bound Hillsbus caught fire just before 10am on the M2 near Beecroft Road in Beecroft.  ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Bus --> Two buses burnt out on edge of Sydney Airport

Two buses have been completely destroyed by fire in the Blue Emu long-term car park at Sydney Airport.

The fire was extinguished about 3pm by two Fire and Rescue NSW crews, with assistance from airport fire services using bulk foam pumps.
Fire destroys buses near Sydney Airport

Two buses were destroyed by fire on the edge of Sydney Airport. Vision courtesy Seven Network

The buses were empty when the fire started, with no persons or other parked cars nearby, Fire and Rescue NSW said.

Shortly before the fire, the driver of one of the buses had left the car park to report a mechanical fault and overheating of the bus, a spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said.

By the time the driver had returned, the bus had caught alight. ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> 200 jobs slashed as State Transit goes on cost-cutting drive to keep bus contracts

About 200 jobs will be axed at State Transit – most of them from support roles – as the government-run operator slashes costs to allow it to hold onto large Sydney bus contracts.

In a blow to staff just two weeks before Christmas, State Transit has told its heavily unionised workforce there will be cuts to back-office support roles and a major overhaul of managerial and salaried jobs.

Some 40 per cent of the 500-strong workforce that falls under the umbrella of "State Transit Executive" will be axed by late next year.

The threat of the Baird government putting State Transit's lucrative Sydney bus contracts into the hands of private operators has been hanging over staff for months.

As a consequence, the pressure has been on State Transit to slash costs in order to convince the government to extend its four Sydney bus contracts for a further five years.

Following its latest cost-cutting efforts, State Transit has reached an in-principle agreement with Transport for NSW for four new five-year contracts for bus services in Sydney to begin from next July - a year earlier than hoped.

Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary Chris Preston said he was concerned that the loss of about 200 support staff would impact frontline workers and bus services.

However, Mr Preston said the renewal of four of State Transit's bus contracts would safeguard the jobs of 3300 bus drivers at 12 depots in Sydney.

"In light of recent privatisation of bus contracts in Newcastle, and Transport for Newcastle's transition to a private operator, we're relieved to see the privatisation tide hasn't turned for all NSW public buses," he said.

While private companies such as Hillsbus and Transdev operate bus services in Sydney, State Transit-run Sydney Buses still carries the majority of the city's passengers.

The government-owned authority's contracts cover the CBD, the northern beaches, Paramatta, the eastern suburbs and south to suburbs such as Mascot.

A State Transit spokeswoman said expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies would occur in the new year for executive and corporate staff.

"As part of an effort to become more efficient and continue to provide services to Sydney, State Transit has offered to reform parts of our corporate back office," she said.

"This will ensure State Transit's metropolitan bus contracts can be renegotiated and ensure taxpayers are getting the best value for money."

State Transit declined to reveal the cost savings it was targeting.

[ozbob]

"Bus services between the Northern Beaches and the Sydney CBD will become much more efficient" via @ABCmag https://t.co/gAfaoueVnu

— Bus Industry Confed (@OzeBus) January 22, 2017

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Track-free electric trams proposed for Parramatta Road

Cleaner than a bus and cheaper than light rail, track-free trams could be shuttling passengers along Parramatta Road within the next five years.

Track-free trams? Yes, that's what they're calling them. And the Inner West Council is pushing the idea as a solution to the transport woes of the Parramatta Road.

In fact, four councils in Sydney's inner west are supporting the notion, which they see as a potential "game changing" public transport option to be introduced concurrently with the WestConnex motorway.

"There have been more than a dozen plans to transform Parramatta Road over the years – and they have all failed due the lack of commitment to a real public transport solution," said the administrator of the Inner West Council, Richard Pearson.

Under the $200 million plan, released on Tuesday by Mr Pearson's council, the electric trams – operating on battery power rather than power lines – would run down the middle of Parramatta Road, carrying people between Strathfield and the city.

The trigger for the Inner West study was the WestConnex motorway, which the state government said would remove traffic from Parramatta Road and civilise it for more residential and community uses.

But the state government has failed to settle on its own transport plan for Parramatta Road. And with the clock ticking towards the completion of the $16.8 billion motorway in 2023, the Inner West Council is keen for a public transport option that could be open before the motorway's completion.

"Parramatta Road should change from being a thoroughfare to a high street – with shopping, dining, and a good living environment," Mr Pearson said.

One advantage of the track-free tram idea is that it could be implemented relatively quickly. It would also be cheaper than light rail, and have the key engineering advantage of being able to run on a relatively narrow strip on the middle of the existing road.

This would allow kerb-side lanes to be freed for parking or other uses.

Ken Welsh, the council's strategic transport planner, said the trams could use a narrower lane than buses because they were equipped with optical guidance technology, similar to that used in luxury cars, which enabled them to stay within the lane.

"There is still a driver, but they mostly control speed, and they don't have to worry about horizontal wobbling."

Mr Welsh said trams had the added benefit of having a "much lower" carbon footprint than diesel buses.

While this would be the first system of its kind in Australia, track-free trams are used in a number of European cities, including Barcelona, Geneva and Luxembourg.

Former Mayor of Leichhardt Darcy Byrne, who initiated the study before the council was amalgamated in May last year, welcomed the findings, alongside mayors from Burwood, Canada Bay and Strathfield councils.

"What we don't need is another good idea gathering dust – there is a narrow window to transform Parramatta Road or it will be a basket case forever," My Byrne said.

The plan is still in a conceptual stage, but the Inner West Council has pledged $80,000 towards a feasibility study in a bid to entice the Berejiklian government to back the proposal and co-sponsor the study.

Bi-articulated and articulated electric buses ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> B-Line bus battle erupts on Sydney's northern beaches


http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/m/g/v/b/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gvlg7j.png/1492438488534.jpg

Change doesn't come easily to the northern beaches and former Labor premier Barrie Unsworth is doing his bit to fight it, finding an unlikely ally in Liberal Bronwyn Bishop.

Taking aim at the proposed B-Line bus service, Mr Unsworth has tapped into a vein of discontent in the Liberal heartland, which is broadly brewing around the new bus service, council amalgamations and the fears of overdevelopment in the northern beaches.

The NSW government has committed to a tolled motorway tunnel linking Balgowlah in Sydney's north to the Warringah Freeway in an effort to relieve traffic congestion on the northern beaches. Vision courtesy Ten Eyewitness News.

Calling the B-Line a "Trojan horse" for development, Mr Unsworth has slammed the expected privatisation of the new bus corridor between the northern beaches and the CBD, and the decision to build a new bus stop at Mona Vale's Village Park.

"We've had government bus services for as long as anyone can remember. We're all happy with the operation of the buses now," Mr Unsworth told Fairfax Media.

He said the Village Park bus stop would pose "safety issues" for residents disembarking late at night, and the "perfectly good" existing bus stop near on Pittwater Road near Waratah Street should be retained.

The issue has opened an exchange of fire between Mr Unsworth and the local federal member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, who wrote to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in February in support of the B-Line being operated by a private company.

Accusing Mr Falinski of "interfering in state matters", Mr Unsworth has thrown his support behind Mr Falinski's predecessor Bronwyn Bishop, who was rolled in a preselection battle for the seat before the 2016 federal election.

"We live on the northern beaches – we understand the issues. Bronwyn is onside with the issues we're onside with," Mr Unsworth told the Herald.

Mr Falinski fired back at the former premier and former transport minister, accusing him of being part of a group trying to stop "even modest improvements to public transport".

He rejected Mr Unsworth's bid to link the B-Line with overdevelopment as "hysterical, both in claims and humour terms" and said they "lacked any evidence whatsoever".

Mr Unsworth and Ms Bishop spoke at a forum of more than 100 residents in Mona Vale last week, which was held to protest the B-Line and the perceived overdevelopment of the Pittwater electorate.

The pair are unlikely allies. Mr Unsworth built his career through the Labor union movement before moving into politics. He served as transport minister in the Wran government before becoming premier in 1986 and, more recently, was chairman of the state transit authority between 2005 and 2009.

Ms Bishop, who resigned as federal speaker after it emerged she had used parliamentary expenses to charter a helicopter to a Liberal Party fundraiser, is a vocal advocate of free enterprise and has been critical of the union movement.

"We're up against brutalism here in Mona Vale," Mr Unsworth told the rally on April 9. "The B-Line is going to cause a lot of destruction along its route."

Ms Bishop, who was in the crowd, then took the stage and made an impromptu 10-minute speech. She avoided the B-Line issue, but said the northern beaches lifestyle was being "threatened" by more people "coming into the electorate".

"High-density living is what most people who live here have come to escape," she told the gathering, before voicing her disapproval of the state government's forced council amalgamations.

In a comment which drew applause from the crowd, Mr Unsworth called out "bring back Bronwyn" – a line that he had road-tested at a rally in Village Park several weeks earlier.

"I'd like to run a campaign [to] bring back Bronwyn," he told the small crowd last month.

But in an interview with the Herald, Mr Unsworth qualified his support for Ms Bishop, stating it was "just a catchphrase" which was designed to highlight his opposition to Mr Falinski.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney bus privatisation plan sparks accusations of betrayal from drivers

The NSW government will privatise the running of scores of bus routes in Sydney's inner west, risking a major dispute with thousands of heavily unionised bus drivers.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance has justified contracting the tender for bus region six – covering suburbs from Kensington in the city's south-east to Strathfield and Olympic Park in the west – out to the private sector by citing poor performance.

The inner-west region is one of four in NSW in which buses are run by the government-owned State Transit Authority. The other 11 regions are in the hands of private operators such as Transdev and Hillsbus.

The bus union said drivers were furious about the decision and accused the Transport Minister of betrayal following guarantees just six months ago from his department about extending the contracts.

Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary Chris Preston said workers had been told as recently as December that STA's contract for bus regions in Sydney would remain after a restructure that included the axing of 200 back-office staff.

"This is the biggest betrayal this Minister Constance can do to these workers. The rest of Sydney's bus drivers will be furious as well," he said.

About 1200 bus drivers are affected by the latest decision to privatise services. In all, STA has about 3700 drivers in Sydney and 12 bus depots.

STA-run Sydney Buses still carries the majority of the city's passengers, including those on routes on the northern beaches, the CBD and the eastern suburbs.

Mr Constance repeatedly declined to provide a detailed answer when asked whether the public sector had been promised an extension of contract if it met performance guarantees, as the union had said.

"I haven't back-tracked on anything. We have always said that we would take action in the best interests of customers," he said.

The minister said the inner-west region had the highest level of complaints, which included claims from customers of buses speeding past them at stops.

"For too long, customers have suffered," he said.

Labor transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay said the Opposition feared the latest plans were merely a prelude to a wholesale sell-off of Sydney's transport network.

"This is a government that is rapidly getting out of the business of running public services. Buses should be run for the public benefit, not for private profit," she said.

The STA's five-year contract to operate the inner-west region expires at the end of this year.

Large companies such as Keolis Downer and Transit Systems have already said they are eager to bid for bus contracts in Sydney, which are some of the most lucrative.

However, unions fear further privatisation of bus routes will lead to cuts to drivers' wages and conditions, as well as bus routes deemed unprofitable.

The contract to operate a new bus corridor known as the "B-Line" from Sydney's CBD to the lower north shore and northern beaches is also expected to be opened up to private companies.

The latest plans coincide with Steffen Faurby, the former boss of Sydney Ferries, replacing Peter Rowley as chief executive of STA. The running of Sydney's government-owned ferries was placed in the hands of a private consortium in 2012.

The government is already effectively moving to privatise the operation of the Bankstown Line through the inner west from Sydenham to Bankstown by converting the railway to carry single-deck driverless trains.

The Tourism and Transport Forum has spearheaded a push for Sydney's entire bus network to be placed in the hands of private operators.

[ozbob]

Northern beaches buses to stay in state hands, despite inner west privatisation > https://t.co/b1jR56YTP1 via @smh #nswpol

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) May 16, 2017