Sydney's public transport network is undergoing a significant shake-up, with a focus on improving connections and reducing duplication. The changes, which come into effect on Sunday, will see eight bus routes axed, 10 new ones added, and 11 routes altered. The northern beaches and north shore will see the loss of routes 196 and 594, while routes 194, 197, and 577 will receive extra services. In the north-west and Hills District, route 52 will replace the axed 500X and 500N, and route 525 will be altered to run from Parramatta to Lidcombe via Newington.
The changes in the south-west will see routes 943, M91, S5, and S14 axed, but nine new routes introduced. The T80 Liverpool to Parramatta T-way will be renumbered as route 80 with a higher frequency of services. These changes are aimed at improving bus connections to the final section of the M1 metro rail line between Sydenham and Bankstown, as well as Greenacre shops and Chullora Marketplace shopping centre.
The transport agency says these changes are informed by detailed analysis of travel patterns and are designed to improve connections, reduce duplication, and increase capacity where demand is greatest. However, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union divisional president Peter Grech warns that timetable adjustments often result in reduced service frequencies, leading to extra cancellations. He calls for more investment in drivers' wages to ensure a reliable public transport service.
Transport Minister John Graham, on the other hand, emphasizes the government's rapid increase in bus services, citing the delivery of 3279 additional bus services since coming to office. He argues that these changes are about putting services where people need them and making the network more reliable and reducing cancellations.
The bus driver shortage in Sydney stood at 157 vacancies in April, an increase from the previous year, but significantly lower than the peak of 420 vacancies in August 2023. The NSW government contracts six private operators to provide bus services across 10 regions in Sydney, with nine contracts worth approximately $8 billion each for about eight years. These changes reflect the government's efforts to modernize and improve Sydney's public transport network, addressing the challenges of a growing city and its transportation needs.
