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Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.
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"Better Buses" confirmed as cost-cutting exercise
posted Sunday 8 December 2002
Sydney's major bus service provider, the State Transit Authority, is constantly reviewing bus services in order to, as it says, meet the changing needs of passengers.
Action for Public Transport has been unable to get a statement from State Transit explaining its policy regarding the balance between improving services to the public and reducing its operating costs.
The following quote, from the newsletter of Ms Clover Moore, MP,
member for Bligh in Sydney's eastern suburbs,
(http://www.clovermoore.com/bligh/enews 6 December 2002 - No. 126)
reveals that cost reductions are indeed a factor
in the re-design of STA's bus services-
"I have been informed that the changes made with Eastern Suburbs Better Buses resulted in nearly 6% cost 'saving' due to an overall reduction in levels of service for the three depots which run buses in this region. This information shows that:
- 68 'runs' were added and 106 runs were cut from the three depots, leading to an overall loss of 38 runs each fortnight
- Waverley depot's reduced runs 'saved' $57,500
- Randwick depot's reduced runs 'saved' $36,000
- Port Botany depot's reduced runs 'saved' $60,000
- Total Eastern Suburbs buses fortnightly expenditure reduced by about $153,500.
While I understand that these figures do not correlate to individual drivers or bus routes; they provide a clear indication that services have been reduced and expenditure slashed.
The STA informed the community at meetings I organised during the Bus Review that the Eastern Suburbs Better Buses program would result in improved services; yet my constituents have experienced reductions in bus services. With a rapidly expanding inner city population, a responsible Minister would be expanding public transport, not reducing existing services."
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