Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Residents are tired of under-funded, badly maintained and poorly managed public transport. The State Transit Authority strategy to only increase services if there are more passengers ignores those who have deserted because buses are not frequent or reliable. Lack of public transport adds to traffic congestion that makes buses less efficient – a frustrating, vicious cycle.

In Parliament I described personal accounts of problems with bus services that constituents have raised with me, like the experience of waiting for an hour in the rain for the 311 bus, which passengers report is a common experience.

I talked about inner east and inner city patrons watching full 324/325/326 buses go by their bus stop, reporting one constituents travel time increased from 10 to 50 minutes as a result. I told Parliament about an invalid Pensioner who waited at the Miller Street bus stop for the 501 for 50 minutes for a bus to Town Hall.

I reported constituents frequently having to catch taxis due to unreliable bus services, including a nurse who depends on the 300 series buses to get to her evening shift, and 50 regular passengers of the 200 bus who have formed a taxi-sharing group to substitute the unreliable service.

The limited response to complaints on the Transport Infoline has forced me to prepare a “how to complain about late buses” information for constituents, an indictment of poor service.

These are just some examples of sorry public transport stories from the inner city, and I again called on the Government to increase bus services and provide public transport as a community service rather than a commercial enterprise.

My staff will also take these concerns to Ministry of Transport Bus Planning Forums in early July to yet again request improved bus services. Please contact Tammie in my Sydney Electorate Office if you have concerns that you would like raised, telephone 9360 3053.

My speech is available at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA20070627043

(from CLOVER'S eNEWS, newsletter of Clover Moore, MP, Lord Mayor of Sydney, 6 July 2007)