Sydney - bus

[Cazza]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2018/more-bus-services-for-eastern-sydney#homepage

"More bus services for Eastern Sydney

From 23 September 2018 route 333 will gain additional services, becoming a high frequency high capacity turn up and go service, with buses as often as every three minutes during peak times between Bondi Beach and Circular Quay.

The increase in services will mean the popular bus route becomes one of the most frequent transport services available in Australia.

The corresponding increase in capacity will allow thousands of additional passengers to get a seat each week along Bondi Road, helping to ease congestion. Weekend services will also gain a boost in services to accommodate families and tourists visiting Bondi Beach.

Outside of weekday peak periods 333 buses will run every six minutes during the day and every 10 minutes at night, seven days a week. The overnight 333N bus will run all-stops between the City and North Bondi, making it easier to get home late at night.

Changes will also be made to other bus routes in the east, with improvements to reliability and service frequencies during off peak, evenings and weekends. Four routes that currently travel to Bondi Junction, the 382, X79 and X84 from North Bondi and the 361 from Tamarama will be replaced by additional services on other routes. There will also be additional services and some route changes for the L24, 380 and 381.

These changes will start from Sunday 23 September 2018, with full details of all route changes and the new timetables becoming available from early September.

Service changes by route

323 Dover Heights to Edgecliff - Route change
Route will be extended to operate between North Bondi and Edgecliff via Dover Heights (old route operated between Dover Heights and Edgecliff only)
In the Dover Heights area, route 323 will no longer stop at the last two stops on Military Road and the stop on Peel Rd, instead operating via Portland St, Lancaster Rd and Military Rd to and from North Bondi
No change to the number of trips or the operating hours
Route 323 has been timed to facilitate connections to F4 ferry services at Rose Bay Wharf
324 & 325 Watsons Bay to City via New South Head Road - Timetable changes
Additional evening services, increasing service frequency to every 40 minutes on both routes from the current 60 minutes
L24 Watsons Bay to City via New South Head Road - Route change
Route changed to operate between Vaucluse (Old South Head Rd) and Wynyard
If you are travelling from Watsons Bay will instead need to catch the more frequent route 324
The service will now serve all stops between Vaucluse and Edgecliff, then as per existing stopping pattern to Wynyard
326 & 327 Bondi Junction to Edgecliff - Timetable changes
Very minor changes to times for some trips but the frequency of services and span of hours they operate are unchanged
333 North Bondi to City via Bondi Junction - Route change
Peak period trips extending between North Bondi and Dover Heights have been withdrawn; you can change to routes 323 and 380 services
The stopping pattern will be changed to reflect demand and changes to surrounding services
Additional services will operate throughout the week using high capacity bendy buses to address high demand along the corridor
333N North Bondi to City via Bondi Junction - New route
New route 333N replaces the current 380 overnight all stops service between North Bondi and City
The service will run from 11pm until 6am operating at all stops
360 Clovelly to Bondi Junction - Timetable changes
Additional off-peak and weekend services, increasing service frequency to every 20 minutes
361 Tamarama to Bondi Junction - Route withdrawn
Replaced by route 381 (which will now operate via the Tamarama area) and the existing 360 service
370 Coogee to Leichhardt via Green Square - Timetable changes
Additional services will operate throughout the week, increasing service frequency to every 15 minutes during the day, 10 minutes during the peak
This service now provides more travel options across the week
379 North Bondi to Bronte via Bondi Junction - Timetable changes
Additional AM and PM peak and evening services on weekdays with some bendy buses providing extra capacity during the busy AM peak period
More frequent daytime and evening services on weekends
X79 & X84 North Bondi to Bondi Junction - Routes withdrawn
If you used to catch the X79 you can now catch 379 from the same stops
If you used to catch the X84 you can now catch 333, 379, 380 or route 386/387 from nearby stops
380 Watsons Bay to City via Bondi Junction - Route change
Route will be changed to operate between Watsons Bay and Bondi Junction only (currently operates to/from Circular Quay)
You should now catch routes 333 and M40 between Bondi Junction and the City
Service extensions to and from Watsons Bay will start and end later across the week, operating into the evening
Services that do not extend to Watsons Bay will now start and end their trips at South Head Cemetery instead of Dover Heights, allowing connections with route 324
381 Bondi Beach to Bondi Junction - Route change
Route will be changed to operate between Bondi Junction and Bronte (north), via Bondi Rd and Tamarama, to replace the withdrawal of route 361
In the Bondi area services will no longer operate to Bondi Beach, instead operating via Denham St, Fletcher St, Gaerloch Ave/Dellview St to Bronte
382 North Bondi to Bondi Junction - Route withdrawn
Replaced by additional services on routes 333 and 380
386 & 387 Vaucluse to Bondi Junction - Timetable changes
Additional early AM and evening services throughout the week
Additional Sunday services, increasing service frequency to every 30 minutes on both routes every day, during the day and night
M40 Bondi Junction to Chatswood - Timetable changes
Additional weekend services, increasing service frequency to every 15 minutes during the day
Additional early morning and late evening services throughout the week between Wynyard and Bondi Junction, operating from 6am to 11pm
891,893 & 898 UNSW to Central - Timetable changes
Services better aligned to passenger demand to start earlier and finish later."



Changes very much supported, the current 333 and 380 struggle to cope with the crowds, especially between Bondi Junction and Bondi Beach.

No changes to Brisbane's bus network in a while hey? We are crying out for improvements.

The new link between Bondi Beach and New South Head Road for Route 323 and the termination of the 380 at Bondi Junction are great changes (both of which I had implemented in my new Sydney network that I've been working on for fun).

The only criticism is that the 323 needs to run as a full time route now instead of just peak hours. No one will be travelling from Bondi to Rose Bay early Tuesday morning. A Saturday arvo coming home from the beach would be a more likely choice by most.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1040182062253309952

[Cazza]

Have these been rolled out to some of the Optimus fleet? I have heard some of those noises recently and was wondering why.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/MySydney/status/1056727569960185856

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1058383481871327232

[Cazza]

More bus improvements down south. Queensland?


https://transportnsw.info/news/2018/bus-changes-in-sydneys-south-east#homepage

Bus changes in Sydney's south-east

From Sunday 2 December, more frequent services, increased peak capacity, greater travel options and changes to some routes will be introduced in the Waterloo, Zetland and Botany areas.

Opal single bus tickets will no longer be sold on board. If you usually buy your tickets from the driver you will now need to get an Opal card so you are ready to travel.

Use the Trip Planner to plan your trip as your route may have changed.

Bus services and route changes from 2 December 2018

New routes 304, 307, 309X, 310X and 400N will be introduced.
Routes 310, L09, X09 and X10 will be withdrawn. Alternative services will instead be provided by routes 307, 309, 309X and 310X
Existing routes 301, 302, 303, 309, 328 and 391 will change.
Minor timetable changes will be introduced to routes 343, 357 and 400.

Changes

301 - Eastgardens to Redfern via Mascot and Zetland
302 - Eastgardens to Redfern via Kensington
303 - Sans Souci to Redfern via Mascot and Kensington
Routes will no longer run to or from the CBD, but instead will terminate at Redfern Station If you are travelling to or from the city you will now need to change to other bus or rail services to continue yourjourney
If you are travelling from Zetland and Waterloo you will now have direct access to the Sydney Trains network at Redfern Station.
Routes 302 and 303 will provide a new link between UNSW and Redfern Station.
If you are currently using routes 301, 302 or 303 between Waterloo, Surry Hills and the City you can use new route 304

304 - Zetland to Circular Quay
New route 304 will run between Rosebery and Circular Quay via Zetland, Waterloo and Surry Hills providing a frequent service 7 days a week.
This new route will replace parts of routes 301, 302 and 303 between Waterloo, Surry Hills and the City
Services will run via Gadigal Avenue and East Village Shopping Centre, providing new travel options in this area for the first time

307 - Port Botany to Mascot Station
New route 307 will run between Port Botany and Mascot Station via Matraville, Eastgardens, Pagewood, East Botany, Botany and Mascot shops
Service frequency will be every 30 minutes during the day, 7 days a week, with services every 20 minutes during weekday peak and every 30-60 minutes during evenings
New route 307 will replace parts of routes 309, 310 and 391
Provides connections to buses at Eastgardens, Botany and Mascot, and trains at Mascot Station
Services will run via Denison Street, Banksmeadow for the first time

309 - Banksmeadow to Railway Square
Route 309 will be changed to run as a frequent service between Banksmeadow and Railway Square via Botany Road.
Service frequency will be every 12 minutes, 7 days a week, with services around every 10 minutes weekday peak times, every 15 minutes during evenings and every 30 minutes late at night
If you were previously using route 309 between Port Botany, Matraville and Banksmeadow can use new route 307 or 309X

309X -  Railway Square to Port Botany
New route 309X will run between Railway Square and Port Botany via Redfern, Green Square Station and Botany Road and replace the existing route L09 service.
Route 309X will stop at Railway Square, Redfern station and Green Square station then operate all-stops to and from Port Botany.
Services will operate from Railway Square to Port Botany during the morning peak and from Port Botany to Railway Square during the afternoon peak, and will Services will run up to every 10 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak

310X - Banksmeadow to Railway Square
New route 310X will run between Banksmeadow and Railway Square via East Botany, Botany, Mascot and Green Square Station
Route 310X will stop at all stops between Banksmeadow and Green Square station, then Central station and Railway Square
Provides express service from Banksmeadow to Railway Square via East Botany, Botany and Mascot during peak times
Combines parts of existing routes 309, 310, X09 and X10
Services will run from Banksmeadow to Railway Square during the morning peak and from Railway Square to Banksmeadow during the afternoon peak, up to every 10 minutes

310 - Eastgardens to Central Railway Square via Botany Rd
Route withdrawn
Alternative services provided by routes 307 between Westfield Eastgardens and Mascot Shops, and route 309 between Botany Shops and Railway Square
Alternative services during weekday peak periods from the Stephen Road, Swinbourne Street, William Street and Banksia Street area will continue to run to and from Railway Square via new route 310X

L09 - PrePay Only - Port Botany to Redfern (Limited Stops)
Route withdrawn
Alternative services provided by route 309X

X09 - PrePay Only - Banksmeadow to Central Railway Square (Express Service)
Route withdrawn
Alternative services provided by routes 309 and 310X

X10 - PrePay Only - Eastgardens to Central Railway Square (Express Service)
Route withdrawn
Alternative services provided by routes 307 and 310X

328 - Bondi Junction to Darling Point via Edgecliff (Loop Service)
Route 328 will change
Off-peak trips on weekdays will run via Double Bay wharf and Double Bay shops, improving access between Double Bay and Edgecliff or Darling Point

343 - Kingsford to Chatswood
Timetable changes and additional services between Rosebery and the City everyday
Increased weekday services during morning and afternoon peak times
Additional weekend evening services

357 - Mascot to Bondi Junction via Kingsford & Randwick
Minor timetable adjustments will be introduced on route 357 across the week, with no changes to service frequencies or operating hours

391 - La Perouse or Port Botany to Central Railway Square
The route will be changed to start/finish at La Perouse or Matraville instead of Port Botany
New route 307 will service Port Botany 7 days a week, with connections to other buses at Eastgardens
Increased frequency of services to and from La Perouse, from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, 7 days a week

400 - Bondi Junction to Sydney Airport via Eastgardens
400N – Bondi Junction to Sydney Airport via Eastgardens
Existing route 400 trips currently running between approximately 12am – 4.30am will be renumbered to 400N, and will run as an all-stops service between Eastgardens and Bondi Junction
Minor timetable adjustments will be introduced on route 400, with no changes to service frequencies

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> 'Transport mess': Passengers at one Sydney station nearly double in three years

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore says a shake-up of bus services in the city's south east is "just fiddling around the edges", as new figures reveal the extent of pressure on public transport from a population boom.

The number of passengers using Green Square station on a weekday has surged by almost 80 per cent over the last three years, from 11,680 in 2014 to about 21,000 in 2017, figures from the state's transport agency show.

Patronage at the station on the Airport Line rose, on average, at a rate of 25 per cent annually.

As part of changes to the bus network from December 2, capacity on routes to Green Square will by boosted by 9 per cent, providing room for an extra 20,000 passengers a week.

While welcoming the extra services, Cr Moore said it was "just fiddling around the edges" in an area facing an "unfolding crisis" because public transport services were failing to keep pace with demand.

"We've made it clear to the NSW government that they urgently need to upgrade and increase public transport networks – it is the number one issue for the area," she said.

Around 112 train staff took sick leave on Monday, but the NSW Transport Minister says affected commuters need to consider Sydney's growth and the challenging job on-shift staff had.

Cr Moore said many buses in the area ran at more than 95 per cent capacity during peak periods while some trains carried passenger loads as high as 180 per cent of seated capacity.

On Tuesday morning, passengers were temporarily stopped from entering platforms at Green Square station due to overcrowding.

The "Green Square urban renewal area" – encompassing Waterloo, Zetland, and parts of Alexandria and Rosebery – is only half complete but will become Australia's most densely populated precinct within a decade when 61,000 residents are expected to call it home.

Cr Moore said the solution to the "transport mess" needed to include a new railway station at Zetland as part of the proposed $15 billion-plus Sydney Metro West project.

She also called for a new light rail line to the area to be fast tracked. The council has spent $40 million buying land to preserve a 4-kilometre corridor from Central Station for a line.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government had a "pipeline of public transport upgrades in the works" for the Green Square-Waterloo precinct, including a new metro rail station at Waterloo.

"The City of Sydney need to continue to work with Transport for NSW on further solutions and consider how they could best use the developer contributions to contribute to even greater investments in services," the spokeswoman said.

Mr Constance has described Green Square as a "public transport disaster" but blamed previous Labor governments for allowing a high concentration of apartments without appropriate mass-transport plans.

The Labor MP for Heffron, Ron Hoenig, said a brake needed to be put on the population growth at Green Square and an underground metro station built at Zetland.

"You have a catastrophe at Green Square. I am getting complaints every day [from passengers] at Mascot and Green Square station that they can't get on the platforms," he said.

Transport for NSW said it was investigating options to improve connectivity and public transport services to and from the Green Square precinct.

The agency cited plans for trains to run on average every 4 minutes, instead of every 6 minutes, during peak periods on the T4 Illawarra and T8 Airport lines from the early 2020s following an $880 million upgrade to rail signalling and control systems.

Under the changes next month, capacity on the 343 bus route from Kingsford to Chatswood via Green Square and Waterloo will be boosted, especially during the morning peak.

Buses on routes 301, 302 and 303, which at present run to the central city via Surry Hills, will terminate at Redfern Station.

Commuters wanting to get to the CBD will have a new bus route, the 304 between Rosebery and Circular Quay, which will run at least every 12 minutes during the day. The service will run via Zetland, Waterloo and Surry Hills, increasing peak capacity by about 18 per cent.

Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary David Babineau said the changes would mean passengers would have to switch services more often to get to their destinations.

[Cazza]

Sydney's bus network is almost as complicated, if not more, than Brisbane's. It needs a full shake up.


I've drafted up a new network myself, with the main points of improvement that should be undertaken:

-Take the Metrobus network further. Good concept. Poor execution. Make it like the BUZ network here in Brisbane (every 15 mins or better, between approx. 5am-11pm) and have routes run more just a few km out of the city. All the current high-frequency routes such as the 144, 288, 309/10, 333, 343, 394, 400/420, 423, 438, 442 etc. should be included in the Metrobus network, running limited stops in most cases.

-Terminate buses on the fringe of the CBD (e.g. Central Station, Wynyard and North Sydney, QVB etc.) for passengers to transfer onto trains to complete their journey in and around the CBD. I know this was done when George St closed back in Oct 2016 (I think) but more can be done. For example, all Anzac Bridge services should terminate at QVB, all Broadway services should terminate at Central Station/Belmore Park.

-Reduce/compact the current peak hour expresses and run more "Trunk" style CBD "Exx" routes. For example on the Northern Beaches, get rid of most of the expresses stopping a few times in the suburbs before joining the conga line known as Military Rd (e.g. E68, E76/77/78/79/80, E83 etc.). To do this, just make the local routes more frequent and feed into Pittwater Rd where the B-Line and other express services run.

-Have more routes (particularly full-time services) run limited stops (e.g. 178/180, 309/310, 324, 423 from Marrickville to Railway Square, most Parramatta Rd routes, most Victoria Rd services between Ryde or Drummoyne and QVB). Some of the stop spacing in Sydney (particularly Inner areas) is pretty close. Why should the 180 (Collaroy Plateau-Wynyard) be stopping at bus stops every few hundred metres in Mosman (apart from Spit Junction and NBJ)? That's what the M30 and 247 are for. This just slows down journey times for outer commuters, providing even more of an excuse to take the car.

-More buses feeding into the rail network. Heavy rail (and soon metro) is the best way to get around the city. So why isn't it used as the key transport spine. Yes, passenger numbers are at record highs and overcrowding is becoming an issue in some instances, but as soon as the Metro North-west and South-west are open, so much pressure will be relieved from the rail network, allowing more opportunities for bus-to-train transfers.


Also, lack of bus priority means that on any given day (even weekends now), buses will be caught in the notorious traffic and run late. In a city like Sydney that has a growing traffic problem almost too quick to keep up, small things such as bus jumps at traffic lights and bus lanes down congested corridors make a huge difference.

[Cazza]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2018/bus-changes-across-sydney#homepage

Even more bus changes coming to Sydney from Dec 2. I'm not really liking what they are doing by turning some services into loops (I'm assuming this is Transit System's decision). Also, the Sunday timetable should be no different to the Saturday timetable!

Just a few comments on some of the notable changes.

Route 308: I can see why they've made it a loop but it does pose the problem of becoming really unreliable. From what I can tell, there is little to no recovery time in the City so if the inbound journey is delayed by even up to 5 mins, the outbound is already behind schedule.

Route 412: Change supported for frequencies to be moved from Every 20 or 40 mins to Every 15 or 30 mins. Simplifies everything.

Route 431/433: Route 431 frequency reduction supported (not exactly why it was Every 10 mins off-peak in the first place). Allows Route 433 to be increased to Every 15 mins off-peak.

Route 438/439: Route 439 should be removed entirely. Frees up resources to make Route 464 Every 15 mins off-peak and Route 438 Every 10 mins all day.

Route 441: Does anyone actually realise what they have just done? By making it a loop, they have had to timetable it so that it now runs at frequencies of every 35 mins . As with Route 308 and 442 (see mini rant below), reliability will be put in the hands of Sydney traffic as there is only 3 mins recovery time at the Botanic Gardens.

Route 442: Frequency increase to Every 10 mins (only Mon-Sat ) very much supported. However, there is no need to make the 442 run as a loop! As for both the 308 and 441, reliability will be significantly reduced as most of the services will only have 2 mins to recover at QVB.

I'm aware that one of the key reasons for this is that layover space is very limited around QVB, especially for a bus that runs up to Every 3 mins in peak hour. But, as it is my local service when I'm down in Sydney, I'm pretty p%ssed  off actually. This is a ridiculous idea. I don't want to be waiting for my bus every time I go to use it, only for it to be late 9 times out of 10, just because some company wanted to save money by reducing the number of buses needed to be run.

If it somehow, miraculously works fine, then sure I'll take my criticisms back. But until then, I'll be forever sceptical.

Route 444/445: Route 444 removal supported. Would have preferred to keep 444 as the route number over 445 but no big deal. Off-peak frequency increase from 20 mins to 15 mins will be loved by all. I'm not sure that terminating it now at Balmain (Gladstone Park) rather than East Balmain Wharf is the best idea but overall, the changes are positive for these routes.

Route 447 (new route): I'm not exactly sure that this route needs to exist. It is only to cover the loss of the 445 from Lilyfield Light Rail. A transfer between Route 445 and Light Rail can still be done at Leichhardt North and bus stops on Norton St. If a connection with Route 470 is still required, just extend it's loop down to Norton St. Simple fix.

Route X25: Removal supported only on the basis that Routes 525 and 526 (the latter in particular) have their reliability improved. It's not uncommon to see them leaving their terminus (at Burwood or Rhodes Station for 526) up to 20 mins late. There needs to be more bus priority between Strathfield Station and Olympic Park Station, whether it be bus lanes or even just bus jump lanes/lights at key intersections. More needs to be done for these routes.

On a similar issue, I don't like how State Transit still operates Route 525 but Transit Systems now run Route 526. They should both be run by the same operator for simplicity and so they don't begin to timetable them to compete with each other, rather than support.


Finally up on the North Shore, very supportive for new Route 591 (St Ives to Hornsby). Currently, anyone from St Ives has to travel on Routes 195/6/7 down to Gordon Station then the train up to Hornsby, taking anywhere from 40 mins to an hour. The trip can be done in car via Burns Rd etc. in around 15 mins, depending on traffic. Route 591 will now cut this travel time down to just over 20 mins, making it a more competitive option.

My only criticisms are that it needs to run on weekends (I can safely say that this is when most of the patronage will be generated from the teenagers heading across to Hornsby for their weekend gatherings- maybe that's why Transdev haven't put on weekend services ) and the timetabling is pretty trash. I don't mind it running every hour but it should be arriving at Hornsby around :45 (for workers starting their shifts on the hour) and departing Hornsby around :15 (for workers finishing their shifts on the hour). Yes, this would mean that two buses would be required to run the route but companies should be focussing on customer needs, rather than running a route sightly more efficiently.

[Cazza]

Route 441: Does anyone actually realise what they have just done? By making it a loop, they have had to timetable it so that it now runs at frequencies of every 35 mins . As with Route 308 and 442 (see mini rant below), reliability will be put in the hands of Sydney traffic as there is only 3 mins recovery time at the Botanic Gardens.

Route 442: Frequency increase to Every 10 mins (only Mon-Sat ) very much supported. However, there is no need to make the 442 run as a loop! As for both the 308 and 441, reliability will be significantly reduced as most of the services will only have 2 mins to recover at QVB.

I'm aware that one of the key reasons for this is that layover space is very limited around QVB, especially for a bus that runs up to Every 3 mins in peak hour. But, as it is my local service when I'm down in Sydney, I'm pretty p%ssed  off actually. This is a ridiculous idea. I don't want to be waiting for my bus every time I go to use it, only for it to be late 9 times out of 10, just because some company wanted to save money by reducing the number of buses needed to be run.

If it somehow, miraculously works fine, then sure I'll take my criticisms back. But until then, I'll be forever sceptical.

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1070598775427743744

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1078519771107287041

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1084117474193199105

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> End of the line for two on-demand bus trials in Sydney amid cost concerns

Another two on-demand bus trials in Sydney will end next week amid warnings from the pricing regulator that the Uber-style services need to be carefully designed to ensure they do not become expensive replacements for existing public transport.

After starting about 18 months ago, a trial at Manly operated by Transdev, and another run by Hillsbus at Carlingford in the city's north west, will cease from May 24. Late last year trials at Punchbowl and Wetherill Park in Sydney's west also ended.

However, four on-demand pilot areas – on the northern beaches, the eastern suburbs, at Newcastle and Woy Woy on the Central Coast – have been extended for six months. Four others, including one at Macquarie Park in Sydney's north, also remain in operation.

The trials, which include those in regional areas, are subsidised by the NSW government to the tune of $20 million, resulting in the cost of a standard adult fare in greater Sydney ranging from $2.60 to $5.60.

As part of a review of public transport fares, the state's pricing regulator is looking at where on-demand services should receive taxpayer funding, and the appropriate pricing for them.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has warned that on-demand services "need to be carefully designed to ensure that high-cost, low-patronage fixed-route transport services are not simply replaced by even higher cost on-demand services".

On-demand services are significantly more expensive to operate than fixed-route buses.

In work for the regulator, consultancy AECOM has calculated that the fixed costs for a new on-demand service can range from about 150 per cent to 180 per cent of those for a fixed-route service. There are also likely to be extra running costs such as fuel and driver expenses.

According to Transport for NSW, the average cost per passenger of operating the on-demand services across the trial areas is $34.56 per trip.

The agency said early indications were that on-demand services would be more cost effective in the long term compared to those operating today. "The objective of the on-demand program has always been to test and learn through the delivery of temporary pilots," it said.

But Rail, Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary David Babineau said the trials had been poorly thought out and there needed to be greater due diligence before they were introduced.

"It needs to be done in a way to make them an integrated part of the transport network, and complimentary," he said. "Often these [on-demand buses] are competing against services that already exist such as those provided by community groups."

Despite the costs, the pricing regulator said there were situations when on-demand services represent "good value for money", such as in areas where demand for public transport was low, or the supply of traditional public transport was costly.

On-demand buses at Carlingford have carried an average of 576 passengers a month since they started in January last year, figures from Transport for NSW show. Manly services have averaged 1348 passengers a month since August.

Passengers can book online, by phone or via an app such as BRIDJ and Liftango, and use the buses to travel the "first and last-mile link" from their homes to train and bus stations, and other key destinations such as hospitals.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Performance of Sydney's inner west buses worse in private hands

The punctuality of buses in Sydney's inner west has worsened since a private company replaced the state-owned operator of services last year, new figures show.

The Berejiklian government repeatedly cited poor performance of buses run by the State Transit Authority (STA) in "region six" in the inner west as justification for privatising services there.

But data from NSW's transport agency shows the private operator, Transit Systems, has failed to beat the key performance measure of 95 per cent of buses running on time every month since it took over the contract in July last year.

And its punctuality has slipped noticeably in recent months. The on-time running of buses operated by Transit Systems averaged 90.5 per cent between January and April, which was worse than the 93.5 per cent by the government-owned STA in the same period a year earlier.

In the first nine months of operation, the on-time running of the private operator's buses averaged 91.65 per cent, marginally lower than STA's 91.68 per cent in the same period a year earlier which included disruptions from drivers opposed to the privatisation plans. Region six extends from Kensington in the south-east to Strathfield and Olympic Park in the west.

Labor's transport spokeswoman, Jodi McKay, said Transport Minister Andrew Constance had boasted that privatisation would improve services yet it was clear that was not the case.

"This has always been about Andrew Constance's ideological agenda of privatisation – not improved services," she said.

Mr Constance declined to respond to Ms McKay's comments but a spokeswoman for the Minister said the contract with Transit Systems would deliver "an extra 5 million kilometres of bus services" in the first four years, and save taxpayers about $140 million over eight years.

Transit Systems' contract includes a review of its performance after five years.

Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples said the inner west remained one of the most challenging regions for bus operators because it included some of Sydney's busiest roads.

"We will continue to work closely with Transit Systems to deliver the best possible services for our customers," he said.

"A number of improvements have been delivered in region six since Transit Systems took over in July 2018, including more than 270 additional weekly services added to popular routes. Patronage in the region has grown by almost 20 per cent in the last 11 months."

But Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary David Babineau blamed high staff turnover, poor morale and insufficient training for Transit's on-time performance.

"[Transit's] drive for profit and to save money is affecting their ability to run on time," he said.

An internal report released two years ago claimed Transport for NSW frustrated attempts by STA to improve on-time running of buses.

The awarding of the tender to Transit Systems reduced contracts in STA's hands to three in Sydney. Private operators such as Hillsbus now have 11.

A spokeswoman for Transit Systems said the company aimed to "deliver significant on-time running improvements" over the coming months. "We are seeing a decrease in customer complaints. Our next targeted phase of improvement focuses on on-time running," she said.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/1143822151989940224

[verbatim9]

^^This is a good development for inner Sydney bus routes.  Another thing to test when a Sydney trip arises? Did anyone also notice that the buses are also fitted with LED screens for next stop information as well as other public transport announcements?

[ozbob]

The Sydney bus routes facing the chop revealed under planned transport shakeuphttps://t.co/8XsoddHyRY

— ozbob13 (@ozbob13) August 27, 2019

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW --> More bus services in Sydney to become cashless

From Monday 28 October more bus services across Western Sydney, Inner West and the North Shore will be going cashless.

The services no longer selling tickets on board include Busways services in Blacktown, Schofields, Vineyard and Woodcroft, Transit Systems services across the Inner West and Forest Coaches services in Belrose, Chatswood, Frenchs Forest and West Pymble.

This means that Opal single bus tickets will no longer be sold on board. If you usually buy your ticket from the driver, you'll now need to get an Opal card or use your contactless credit card, debit card or linked device to travel.

Opal cards are available online or over the counter from Opal retailers including most newsagents, post offices, convenience stores and supermarkets. If you have a contactless-enabled American Express, Mastercard, Visa card or linked device, you can use it to pay your fare at the Opal reader.

Tapping on and off with an Opal card, credit card or linked device is typically at least 20 per cent cheaper than buying an Opal single bus ticket in cash. Changing to cashless services also allows for faster boarding times resulting in fewer delays and more reliable on-time running. Remember to tap on and tap off to ensure you are charged with the correct fare and separate your cards when you tap on and tap off so your preferred card is charged.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> 'A shocking betrayal': Berejiklian government to privatise bus services

The Berejiklian government will privatise bus services in the last three parts of Sydney - including the northern beaches and eastern suburbs - which are still in the hands of the state-run bus operator.

The Herald can reveal thousands of drivers will be told on Thursday the State Transit Authority's grip on "bus regions" seven, eight and nine will end after the government decided to open them up to the private sector to operate.

Bus region seven covers Sydney's north western suburbs, including Ryde, region eight the lower north shore and northern beaches, and region nine the eastern suburbs. The regions cover scores of routes, many of which run to Sydney CBD.

The privatisation of bus services is expected to spark a furious response from trade unions, including the Rail Tram and Bus Union.

State Transit has several thousand drivers in Sydney, who will be offered job transfers to the companies which eventually win the tenders to operate services in the three regions of Sydney.

But the privatisation leaves questions about the jobs of staff at State Transit such as administration and other back-office roles.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey said job security for public transport workers and those who supported them had "just been demolished".

"Under any privatisation, the new operator is behind the eight ball before they start because they have to cut budgets," he said.

"This is a deep betrayal by the Liberals who said nothing of this before the election. The [Transport] Minister must come clean on his plans for the train network."

The privatisation process is expected to take 18 months to two years.

The latest decision comes several years after the government decided to privatise region six, which covers Sydney's inner west, sparking an outcry from bus drivers and the unions representing them.

About 1200 bus drivers walked off the job for 24 hours in protest against the move to privatise services in the inner west.

The eventual awarding of the contract for bus services in the inner west to Transit Systems last year increased the number of regions in private hands in Sydney to 11.

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay said the privatisation of the last remaining bus regions in Sydney would be a "shocking betrayal of Sydney commuters".

"The Premier said no more privatisations, and here we are just months after the election and she is busy selling off our public assets," Ms McKay said.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance flagged at budget estimates hearings last month the government was considering opening up to competitive tender the last regions in Sydney still in State Transit's hands.

Mr Constance's office declined to comment on Wednesday night.

When it chose to privatise services in the inner west, the government cited poor performance of buses run by State Transit as justification.

However, figures from the state's transport agency have shown the punctuality of buses in the inner west have worsened since the private operator replaced State Transit last year.

The running of Sydney's government-owned ferries was placed in private hands in 2012, and the government is effectively moving to privatise the operation of the Bankstown rail line through the inner west from Sydenham to Bankstown by converting the railway to carry single-deck driverless trains.

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[#Metro]

Privatisation of a bus service in this way is not a sale.

A sale requires a transfer of an asset in exchange for money.

In this case, the govt is paying the operator for a service to be produced.

If it were a sale, the bus operator would be paying the gov't for the transfer.

Ms. McKay has failed to explain why the driver of a bus must be a public servant, when other buses and conveyances in the same city are driven by private staff.

[SurfRail]

Good riddance.

This will leave only 3 "public" operators left in the country.  None of these (or STA) have what I would regard as competently run or managed bus networks compared to much more professionally organised and run systems in other states like WA.

- Metro Tasmania (around 220 vehicles)
- Transport Canberra (around 450 vehicles)
- BCC (around 1,220 vehicles, 26 of which are operated by Keolis subsidiaries already)

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1187197287350423552

[verbatim9]

I don't mind Public Transport services being privatised or competitively run. As long as there is a guarantee of periodical fleet renewal and that the vehicles are maintained and cleaned from top to bottom as per Public expectations.

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Bus backflip: NSW Government return bus services across The Hills

Desperate commuters across The Hills campaigning to see axed bus services reinstated after they were cut with the opening of the Sydney Metro northwest have won the battle, but not the war, for all services to be revived.

A series of petitions, which gained the support of close to 15,000 residents, and a strong campaign by NewsLocal were launched after the NSW Government announced it would cut bus services across The Hills from July 28 this year.

However, Transport for NSW announced a major backflip, with hundreds of buses on affected routes including 620X, 626, 632, 633, 635, 642X and 651 would return from November 17 after community feedback and Opal card travel data.

The 621 Castle Hill to Wynyard service, which was the catalyst for a petition that gained more than 4000 signatures, was not returned.

Epping state Liberal MP Dominic Perrottet said Transport for NSW listened to the community concerns.

"These changes are aimed at creating an integrated public transport network to help people move easily around Epping with more than 600 additional weekly services now running to-and-from Metro stations," he said.

"I would like to thank everyone who has contacted me regarding this matter and I want to reassure people I will continue fighting for the restoration of the 621 service."

While Seven Hills state Liberal MP Mark Taylor thanked residents that campaigned alongside him to see the return of the 606 bus from Winston Hills to Parramatta. Hornsby Greens councillor Emma Heyde held community rallies to call on the State Government to return bus services.

Cr Heyde said she was happy with the result, however, concerned that crucial routes would not return after the government backflip.

"It is three months of angst and inconvenience for residents that should never have happened," Cr Heyde said. "The government had Opal data that showed these routes were still at 80 per cent capacity.

"Residents are in uproar that the 621 route that was the major concern hasn't been returned – not to mention the fact that it has taken three months for their outrage to be heard."

CHANGES TO THE NETWORK

Route 606 - Winston Hills to Parramatta will see 150 weekly services added and revert to stopping out the front of Winston Hills Mall.

Route 620X - Dural to City via Cherrybrook via M2

25 additional weekly services on route 620X, with earlier services during the afternoon

peak and services operating later into the evening. The last service will now depart the

City around 9pm.

Route 626 – Kellyville Station to Pennant Hills via Cherrybrook

Over 80 additional weekly services with extra morning and afternoon peak services

between Cherrybrook Village shops and Cherrybrook Metro Station. The route will also

provide quicker access to Cherrybrook Station, operating direct via County Drive

instead of via David Road.

Route 632 – Rouse Hill Station to Pennant Hills via Norwest and Castle Hill

Over 70 additional weekly services with extra off-peak and later evening services from

Rouse Hill Station to Pennant Hills via Norwest, Castle Hill and Cherrybrook.

Route 633 – Rouse Hill Station to Pennant Hills via Kellyville and Castle Hill

Over 60 additional weekly services making it easier for customers to travel to-and-

from the Hills Showground, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook and Pennant Hills stations.

Route 635 - Castle Hill to Beecroft via West Pennant Hills

100 additional weekly services with the route adjusted to operate via Cherrybrook

Village and David Road with later weeknight and new weekend services introduced.

These changes will also restore the connection between the Anglican Retirement

Village and Cherrybrook Village shops.

Route 642X - Round Corner Dural to City via M2

Over 230 additional weekly services including either side of the afternoon peak and

will now include a stop at Cherrybrook Station, as well as new off-peak and evening

services between Dural and Cherrybrook Station.

Route 651 - Rouse Hill Station to Epping via Castle Hill

Over 50 additional weekly services between Epping and Castle Hill via West Pennant Hills on weekdays.

[verbatim9]

news.com.au---> Up to 16 of Sydney's most popular bus services – used by thousands of commuters every day – are facing the axe because of the new light rail, a leaked report shows.

Up to 16 of Sydney's most popular bus services – used by thousands of commuters every day – are facing the axe because of the new light rail, a leaked report shows.

The draft document, dated January 2020 and seen by news.com.au, show at-risk services in the city's east could be replaced by four new services that would take commuters from Coogee, Maroubra and the city's south to Randwick's light rail.

The move would be a bid to reduce peak time bus services to the CBD and "remove duplications" in transport services.

Basically, transport authorities want people to start using the light rail – which has been criticised by some for being far too slow – instead of jumping on buses to get to the city.

Other services may be altered to fit around the light rail, whereas others would be "discontinued" under the plans, with the "introduction of light rail, with alternate travel options in place".

Some of the services that face being cut are the 373 from Coogee to Circular Quay and the 393 from Little Bay to Central.

There are proposals to cut bus services that double-up on the new light rail routes. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP Source: AFP
No express services are outlined to be cut, but the 373X, 377X and 393X could be modified to "retain local network coverage".

Labor member for Coogee Marjorie O'Neill said cutting public transport, when the city's need for it is growing, is "simply insane".

"This government clearly has no plan to deal with this level of public transport growth, if they did they would be working to ensure that buses and the light rail operate together, not replacing one with the other," she said.

"The under patronage of the light rail is a consequence of the low and slow service quality. After years of disruption during construction, the government is further punishing our local community by forcing them onto a sub-par service."

Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW has also blasted the plans today, saying it will "inevitably result in passengers being left inconvenienced".

Secretary, David Babineau, said: "It's clear that what's happened is that the NSW Government has realised that it needs to drive people onto the light rail in order to justify the exorbitant amount of money it has blown on the project, and it doesn't seem to care about the inconvenience that will cause for commuters."

Coogee MP Marjorie O'Neill says cutting public transport is 'simply insane'. Picture: Monique Harmer Source: News Corp Australia
However, the government says a final decision on buses won't be made until several months after the Kingsford light rail line opens next month.

"Bus services in the south east will be adjusted to reflect changed customer travel patterns, while express bus services will be retained to complement the light rail," a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said.

"Planning for these changes is still in the early stages and will be informed by Opal data, changed customer travel patterns, and feedback. The detailed plan has not been finalised."

She added that changes will be released for public feedback and adjustments will include new additional bus routes, modifications to existing routes and more express services.

"Early modelling of bus changes will retain most existing transport connections as well as improving how customers travel around the local area and move between major hubs such as Central, Randwick, Kingsford and Taylor Square," she said.

Here are the services earmarked for the chop in the leaked report: 302, 314, 317, 373, 376, 377, 393, 394, 395, 397, 399, L94, M10, M50, 891 and 893

These services which could be modified to align with the light rail: 303, 307, 313, 316, 348, 370, 374, 377, 391, 392, 396 and 400

There were no changes proposed to the following services: 338, 339, 343, 357, 372 and 418

[Cazza]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2020/inner-west-bus-service-changes#homepage

Another round of massive bus improvements happening in Sydney next month. The last time Brisbane saw any sort of notable network improvements was the Queens Wharf bus changes almost 4 years ago. And that was only re-routing CBD services and tweaking timetables. Associated changes with the metro rollout cannot come soon enough...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1314348979891494912

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransportforNSW/status/1314445299344007169

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/dbell2100/status/1316088730935934976

[Cazza]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2020/improvements-to-route-977-bus-services#homepage

This:
"The trial has demonstrated that more people will choose public transport if there are more regular bus services across the day that provide timely connections with train services at Caringbah station"

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1333911880994263044

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney aims to turn entire bus fleet electric by 2030

The NSW government will work to replace its entire 8000-bus fleet with electric-powered vehicles by 2030 and will deliver the first 50 to Sydney next year.

Fifty new electric buses will roll out across Sydney's public transport network from the first quarter of 2021, Transport Minister Andrew Constance announced on Wednesday. The inner west region will get 30. ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Passengers escape before bus destroyed by fire at Glebe

... Superintendent Luke Unsworth from Fire and Rescue NSW said crews arrived to find the bus well alight. He said the quick actions of the bus driver managed to evacuate all of the passengers.

"Luckily there's no one been hurt," Superintendent Unsworth said. ...

====

https://twitter.com/CSWherrett/status/1348526793041481728

https://twitter.com/CSWherrett/status/1348528456598908932

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1356017682080886785

[Cazza]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2021/school-students-to-trial-opal-frictionless-ticketing#homepage

Frictionless ticketing? I'm quite interested to see how this would work.

[#Metro]

They wear eTag is my guess.

[verbatim9]

They attach them to their school bags--->https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nsw-govt-trials-rfid-tags-as-student-opal-cards-560502

[ozbob]

More bus services to Sydney's West

> https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/more-bus-services-to-sydneys-west