Western Sydney Affected With Cut Free Bus Shuttle Services

The NSW Government is deciding to cut essential Free Bus Shuttle Services from a various areas in and around Western Sydney, which is based on low patronage per kilometre ( Not per trip - Bus Operators get paid per Kilometre, so this is just another way to measure it).

Per kilometre doesn't represent the true amount of commuters per trip. If the route is around around 6 kilometres the figures would be multiplied by the kilometre rate , which looks better!

We know the Free Bus shuttles are great community links to get to important areas of the community in a major urban area, where it can be inaccessible or hard to get to to with that hub, for the needy: young and elderly, the commuters that have disabilities and ordinary commuters that need to get to job employment agencies, to reach entrainment areas, visits to doctors and specialists, reaching educational facilities, child care centres, hospitals, major shopping centres, community groups and government agencies.

In the past, the NSW Governments have approved Free Bus Shuttle  Bus Services, without extensive advertising as that is Government protocol to advertise in the TV media and promote a free Bus service. If you don't promote the less commuters use it. Advertising is limited to local newspaper media and local radio and only in announcements is it only  a general broadcast to the wider media, for a 'once only promotion!'

It is understood that these maybe resulting in financial reasons to drop these Free Bus Shuttle Services - yet this is not good if you want to promote a community pride within communities - a sense of  promoting goodness around the community. People knowing that their life is made easier, by using these services that should made readily available to them. By removing these services will place more cars possibly on the roads - replacing them with paid services it only saying not our problem 'yours'.

I'm sur the WSPTU members wiuld the NSW Government to review their decision to remove theses services
Click Here For Release of Free Bus Shuttle Services being Discontinued

Here are the results:

Service and date started	Boardings per kilometre	Decision
Wollongong 2009	7.4	Retain
Sydney 2008	8.8	Retain with altered route
Parramatta March 2011	12.1	Retain
Cabramatta March 2011	4.5	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Blacktown March 2011	2.2	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Campbelltown January 2011	1.6	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Gosford January 2011	1.2	Retain as paid service with altered frequency
Newcastle March 2011	1.3	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Penrith March 2011 (Route changed after community feedback in December 2011)	0.7	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Bankstown March 2011	1.9	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Liverpool January 2011	0.6	Discontinue and reallocate buses to other local services
Kogarah March 2011	0.7	Retain on six month trial as paid service with altered route

* Patronage counts are from April or March 2013 and are consistent with previous months