Announcement of New Bus Contracts

This could be very important for people in Greater Western Sydney.

Transport for NSW has announced the successful tenders for the bus contracts in several regions including Region 1 (Penrith to Blacktown) and Region 3 (Liverpool, Fairfield, Holroyd).

Busways was successful for Region 1 and Transit Systems Australia was successful in Region 3. Busways www.busways.com.au is well known to people in Region 1 but the other existing service providers, Westbus and Hawkesbury Valley Buses, appear to have missed out on contracts in Region 1.

The new contract for Region 3 has gone to Transit Systems Australia. They seems to be a new business in Western Sydney http://www.transitsystems.com.au/overview . Previously Region 3 was operated by a consortium of MetroLink, Busabout, Hopkinsons and Westbus. It's unknown what will happen with those businesses. http://www.a3mc.com.au/

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/new-bus-contracts-benefit-customers-and-taxpayers

Blake's Revised Bus Masterplan Region 1

Blake now updated his Bus Masterplan for Region and provide a detailed listing of the bus services. It covers all areas that require services and seems to be a sensible way of approaching Bus Network Plans. Let's Hope Transport For NSW, politicians and other bus transport officer take notice what this wonderful 15 year old is doing, thinking of future.

Click here to check it out:
http://mountdruittcommuters.blogspot.com/2011/11/update-on-region-1-masterplan.html

Blake's Region 1 Masterplan - Check it out!

here is Blake again thinking of the future - revised bus services in Region 1:
http://mountdruittcommuters.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-region-1-masterplan.html

I like it and am impressed because this plan covers areas not covered before and would promote more community members to catch buses/public transport - please feel free to leave your comments

Victory For Residents

Here are excerpts from an article in the Penrith Press by Nicole Hasham. Susan Day and the South Penrith Action Group are members of the WSPTU.

Susan Day of the South Penrith Action Group, which spearheaded the community campaign, said “people power” meant authorities had reversed plans to scrap four important routes.

“We held meetings and forums and lobbied hard to keep services, and they’ve listened to us - they had no choice,” Ms Day said.

“But Glenmore Park seems to have missed out and St Marys has lost services”

But Warragamba’s Lori Jeromin was left fuming after south-bound services from Penrith were slashed.

“There’s one bus at 9am and not another one until 2pm - it’s really shocking,” said Ms Jeromin.

Many older Warragamba residents had been left housebound by the changes, she said.

For the full story go to www.penrithpress.com.au

Transport Shake Up in Penrith

Penrith Weekender Online

Penrith residents who utilise public transport may soon find their regular routine changing, with a new bus timetable and new train timetable coming into effect next month.

The changes to the bus network follow extensive community consultation that yielded over 1,600 public responses, and local members Karyn Paluzzano and Diane Beamer are encouraging the community to check out the results.

“Many of the proposals originally put out have been changed as a direct result of community feedback, so I am grateful that people took the time to make a submission,” Ms Paluzzano said.

Susan Day of the South Penrith Action Group is one of many locals eager to see the new timetables when they are released on September 14.

“On a positive note, it proves as a group we forced the Government to listen to us, that we would not just accept the reduction in services without a fight and we put up a great fight,” she said.

“However, I am disappointed with the timing of the announcement and the release of the new timetables, with them not being available until the 14th of September. People will be left wondering and this will cause real worry for some wondering if they were actually listened to and if their service has been increased/decreased or has finished.”

A spokesperson from Transport Minister David Campbell’s office said many of the changes were established as a direct result of feedback from the local community, such as Route 791, which next month will operate as a full-time service seven days a week, with evening services provided.

“This will mean residents in South Penrith and parts of Jamisontown have improved access to both the Penrith CBD and Southlands Shopping Centre, as requested by the community during consultation,” the spokesperson said.

“This will provide one consistent route replacing the current evening and weekend service that operates in one direction only, and has generated local concern over a number of years.”

Meanwhile Route 790 will soon be known as Route 770, and extend to Mt Druitt as well as run later into the evening.

In addition, a 793 local service will be introduced, serving parts of South Penrith adjacent to the 791 six days a week, providing direct access to Penrith for residents unable to walk to the 791.

“The changes improve consistency of the network, making it easier to understand, and gives residents of St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton and Oxley Park direct access to Penrith,” the spokesperson said.

“It also introduces a direct link from Penrith and Cambridge Park to Mt Druitt, and new services to the Erskine Park Industrial area for the first time.”

New timetables can be collected onboard buses or downloaded from operator websites, and will come into effect on October 11.

Region 4 - Bus Services in NW Sydney May Be Changing

Region 4 Bus Network - Commencing 11 May 2009

The following is taken from the NSW Bus Network Review Website, about the new bus network for Region 4.

"After community consultation and an extensive review of region 4, a new bus network will be introduced on 11 May, 2009.

Region 4 is bounded by the Hawkesbury River to the north, by Galston and Berrilee to the east, Parramatta and Westmead to the south-east, Box Hill and Rouse Hill to the north-west and Blacktown and Girraween to the south-west.

Region 4 includes the regional city of Parramatta, the major centres of Blacktown, Castle Hill and Rouse Hill, as well as the specialised centres of Macquarie Park, Norwest and Westmead.

Bus services in Region 4 are operated by Hillsbus, operating under contract to the NSW Government. The Ministry of Transport manages and regulates the contracts in each region on behalf of the NSW Government.

Click Here for the final Region 4 - Network Map

Visit Network Review Website for more information on specific suburbs"

What do you think about the changes? Leave a comment below...

Dude, Where did my Bus Go?

The Ministry of Transport and Holroyd Council and local residents are in fierce negotiations over keeping local bus services in the recent Bus Network Reviews in Contract Region 3. These reviews, a recommendation of the Unsworth Review (2004) have been changing bus routes over Western Sydney. Some bus routes will be axed, some will remain the same and have most will have increased frequency, although people will have to walk further to their bus stop. Some members of the community are outraged that their only means of getting to their destination will be changed and not replaced, leaving them no alternative.

The Mayor of Holroyd Council, Cr Cummings believes that "The proposed changes aren't in the best interests of our community and will leave Holroyd residents stranded, waiting for a bus".

As was reported in the local Parramatta Advertiser, on January 20 "Holroyd Residents Say No to Parramatta", residents, particularly the elderly and less mobile living in the flower streets of Greystanes will miss out on a regualr bus service. These streets include Alpha Street, Dahlia Street and Gardenia St in Greystanes. Other areas affected are Hampden, Irrigation, Chelmsford, Centenary and Richmond Rd's in South Wentworthville nd Bristol and Paton Streets in Merrylands.

Jessica Lines, Community Liasion Officer at the NSW Ministry of Transport Bus Consultation, said at several public forums around Western Sydney stated "this review is increasing the effectiveness and viability of the bus network and more people are catching the bus than previously, most people are better off."

Western Sydney Community Forum supports the work of the Bus Network Review but believes that the process could be improved by increasing the time available to consult with the community. Letter box drops need to be monitored as many people did not received the proposed network map in their mail - it gets mixed up with the junk mail. There seems to be two main problems with the Network Review process; firstly the consultation process and secondly the effects of route changes on people living with mobility problems, like older people, parents with little children and people with disabilities.

Paul Falzon, WSCF Transport Development Worker, believes that "the network review is an opportunity to review a community's bus transport needs, but there needs to be a principle that if a route is taken away or modified, that marginalised people who rely on the service will not be worse off. This is not the case at present. Care must be taken that older and less mobile people are not made transport disadvantaged by the review, due to lack of ability to walk the 400 metres or due to difficult geography such as steep hills or natural barriers, such as road overpasses."

Hugh Worrall, Transport Development Worker at Western Sydney Community Forum, believes that "it is people who have mobility problems who seem to be most ill-effected by the changing of the bus routes. The planning guidelines ask transport providers to make sure that a bus route comes within 400 metres of most addresses in suburban Sydney. Community Transport are funded to support people who qualify for the Home and Community Care program - and these folks can usually only walk about 50 metres. This means that the people who can walk more than 50 metres but less than 400 metres find themselves in a gap - and that's a surprising number of active older people. If these people have set themselves up knowing they are close to a bus route, and that bus route is moved, they can be stranded and feel abandoned".

The final consultation was extended from the 18th of January to February 6th, at the request of local Member and Minister for Housing David Borger.

The next Bus Consultation Forum will be at Holroyd Centre on 4th February at 7pm RSVP to Di Tulloch at Holroyd Council on 9840 9840.