The 190x, which replaced the cancelled during Covid 2020 routes of 188x and 189x from Careel Head Road and Avalon Beach, has been further reduced by 25%. Added to this, the withdrawn articulated buses which used to run on the route and provided greater capacity, were withdrawn in September 2024 due to safety concerns, meaning the reduced amount of runs also have reduced capacity.
Those who use this service report multiple cancellations in recent weeks, compelling them to use the B-Line and then try and get a connecting service 199 at Mona Vale further north.
However, commuters state the 199 has been either over 40 minutes late or has had multiple runs in a row cancelled as well - or has simply driven past them, already full or because it was running late and must meet the times set.
Many are taking well over 2 hours to get home - or having just getting to work turned into a very stressful trip.
When the bulk of children went back to school on Thursday February 6th, some were left stranded due to 185 runs, Mona Vale to Narrabeen via Warriewood Valley, being cancelled.
Others related problems with the 181x. This service runs for 2 hours from 6am to 8am in the morning for those people between the B-Line stops trying to get to work in the city. They too have experienced cancellations between 7 and 8am right in the middle of peak time almost every day, which means a 15-20 minute walk to either Narrabeen or Collaroy B-Line stop.
NSW State Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby has also been made aware of the impact on residents.
The Pittwater MP wants to hear from residents of their experiences of the new timetable and how it’s impacting you. This data and your examples can be taken to the Minister and the operators so Ms Scruby can make a community case for more services.
A survey is available at bit.ly/3CrD6Oo or email the Office of the Pittwater MP at: pittwater@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Although the survey highlights the gaps and failures in the 190x services, there is room to add notes about what has been happening on other routes. With only one form of public transport for locals, it is vital commuters and students are able to rely on these services.
No statement from Transport for NSW as to why so many services, atop the changes, have been cancelled has been provided other than a media release of February 5 2025 reiterating the changes could catch some unaware:
'Plan your journey and allow plenty of time is the message for students and their families as public schools prepare to kick off the new academic year on Thursday, 6 February.' TfNSW stated in a released reminder
'At what is always a busy time of year, tweaks to routes and timetables across Greater Sydney mean parents and carers should check the best way for their children to get to school in plenty of time.
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said that it’s particularly important in certain areas where ongoing issues around driver shortages and the withdrawal of articulated buses could have an effect on service frequency.
“This is a crucial piece of homework for students and their families as public schools go back, to plan their journeys ahead of the first day of term and not to assume it will be the same as last year,” Mr Collins said.
“At the same time a number of services across the Northern Beaches and lower North Shore will have their timetables tweaked to improve on-time running and reflect changing traffic patterns.
“But, we are anticipating some pinch points as schools go back, especially on the Northern Beaches and parts of the North West, due to ongoing challenges with a number of articulated buses having been taken out of service for repair, and a shortage of bus drivers in the area.
“We’re doing everything we can to minimise these impacts, and some of our timetable adjustments are to make sure our busiest services have enough capacity and that our dedicated school buses run as normal.
“For some routes, such as the 171X, this has required a small reduction in services where alternative services and sufficient capacity are still available.
“As always my message is to ask you to check the Trip Planner at transportnsw.info/trip to get more information about the network changes.”
This would spell out there is still a bus driver shortage for local routes and there is still a contract demand to run 'on time' which will see buses cancelled or people standing at bus stops unable to catch the bus as it whizzes past, and the problem of buses deteriorating to the point where they can no longer be safely used.
The NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen stepped down from holding that portfolio officially on February 4 2025, citing her use of a government provided driver and vehicle, although within the bounds of what is allowed, did not ‘pass the pub test’. NSW Premier Chris Minns announced Roads Minister, John Graham, will take on the transport portfolio “on an interim basis”.
Jo Haylen’s work in establishing the NSW Bus Industry Taskforce saw the then new NSW Labor state government try to rein in some of the equally ''does not pass the pub test'' aspects of the contracts the previous government had negotiated with private contractors when it privatised the NSW public transport buses and routes.
Minister Haylen’s resignation came just days after the Audit Office of NSW released its much anticipated report on Bus contracts in metropolitan Sydney.
The January 29 tabled report found TfNSW is not effectively managing bus contracts to ensure that operators are meeting contracted obligations and customer needs.
‘’It has not responded strategically to major changes in commuter, work and travel patterns on metropolitan bus services.’’ the report states
Further:
‘’TfNSW identified significant gaps in its strategic contract management capacity since 2022 but has not sufficiently addressed these. As a result, it has not undertaken essential medium to long term strategic activities required to effectively manage the Greater Sydney Bus Contracts (GSBCs). It has not conducted a holistic, systematic review of service levels across all regions to fully address the impacts of the post-COVID-19 period, and other changes such as new infrastructure and travel options like the Sydney Metro M1 line.
First stop on time running has stabilised since January 2023. However, operators are not consistently meeting their performance obligations for on time running, cancelled trips and customer complaints.
There are gaps in TfNSW’s contract management specific procedures and delegations. These gaps mean that the risks of inappropriate exercise of delegations, non compliance with contractual requirements and/or inappropriate use of public funds are not fully addressed.
The audit recommends that TfNSW improve the capacity of its bus contracts management team. It should also close the gaps in its contract management specific procedures and delegations, and start regularly auditing operator responses to customer complaints.
TfNSW should implement strategic planning, including enhanced data analytics, aimed at improving bus operator performance.’’ the report states
Recommendations By June 2025, Transport for NSW should:
1. increase the strategic contract management capacity of the bus contracts team to address the gaps identified by TfNSW in 2022 and 2023, and commensurate with the value and complexity of the Greater Sydney Bus Contracts which are worth approximately $8 billion in total.
2. review and address gaps in contract management specific procedures and delegations to ensure clarity in the current framework, and to avoid the risk of inconsistent and inappropriate decision-making.
3. establish and start a process of regular auditing of the efficacy of operator responses to customer complaints, to provide assurance they are being accurately reported and satisfactorily addressed.
By December 2025, Transport for NSW should:
4. implement strategic planning, including enhanced data analysis, to address ongoing and emerging issues that may have an impact on bus performance across all GSBC regions, and to improve bus operator performance.
The Bus Industry Taskforce final report of May 2024 collated a number of findings which locals may relate to.
Finding; Buses have been neglected, and are underfunded and largely misunderstood, undermining both economic and social value for the community
1. Underfunding of bus services has both economic and social costs. Properly funded services are essential to social sustainability.
2. The quality and reliability of bus services across NSW is not meeting community needs and expectations and is at risk of failing to deliver for a growing and expanding population in a financially and energy challenged environment.
3. Bus is the most complained about mode in public transport but is anyone listening? Last year over 60 per cent of all public transport complaints were about bus services.
4. While buses carry well over 40 per cent of all public transport passengers, they are budgeted to receive only 2.6 per cent of Transport’s capital expenditure in the years FY2019 – FY2027. This compares to 49.9 per cent for rail/metro over the corresponding period.
The result is: a. Underfunding of bus priority infrastructure which could provide faster journey times, attract more people to public transport and get cars off the road. b. Aging operational technology such as Public Transport Information and Priority System (PTIPS) resulting in ‘ghost buses’ not able to be seen in real time by passengers. c. Bus stops and driver amenities are awaiting much needed improvements. d. Lack of investment in bus services for passengers - funding for growth bus services (3.2 per cent increase in bus operating costs over 10 years) has not kept up with population growth across NSW (12.6 per cent growth over 10 years) and school enrolments (7.5 per cent increase over 10 years).
Finding; NSW bus driver pay rates are among the lowest in the country, even though Sydney is the most expensive city to live in.
Finding; During the franchising of the former Sydney Bus regions Transport accepted low-cost bids which eroded the sustainability and damaged the reputation of the bus industry.
1. Procurement of bus service contracts is a significant undertaking worth more than $1.7 billion per annum. The quality of the procurement process has significant implications for the delivery of a world class, safe and reliable integrated public transport network to the community and which also offers value for money for the State.
2. Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9 carry more than 70 per cent of Sydney’s bus trips. The complexity of these regions combined with labour supply issues and poor transitions led to a crisis of confidence. Cancellations continue to occur, even on a reduced operating timetable.
3. The focus on cost at the expense of quality and other value factors has resulted in risk to the long-run sustainability of some bus operator contracts due to their unrealistic approach to margin and operating cost reduction. Transport should be cautious of loss leader approaches from bidders seeking to get into the market, and from bidders which have misunderstood the requirements for delivering high quality services, as it will ultimately impact industry, staff, and customers.
4. A sustainable industry requires operators to earn reasonable returns. A race to the bottom serves no one’s interest.
Meanwhile, Keolis Downer, which was awarded a $900 million contract to operate and maintain bus services in the northern beaches and the lower North Shore for eight years, from October 31st 2021 and will not hear your complaints about them cancelling your bus or going straight past you, even at midnight in a lightning storm because they have to meet those times, and refers you to Transport for NSW as the ones you must speak to - was happily informing the community about Australia’s largest 100% electric bus depot on February 5, 2025.
A post, shared on Instagram provides an update about the electrification of the Brookvale Bus Depot.
''The Brookvale Depot has reached a number of significant milestones in recent months:
Installation of a 220kW solar system, supplying enough power to take the existing depot off the grid during the day.
Civil works which included all excavation, conduits, and concrete works completed in early January '25.
Up next: installing state-of-the-art charging equipment and a new gantry charging infrastructure to support our fleet of electric buses.''
Yes, new electric buses are coming - BUT not soon enough for those stranded waiting for a bus that's already been cancelled, again this coming week.
However, some of the frustrations residents have expressed have been heard by the State Government incumbents.
On January 30 2025 the NSW Government announced Australian owned bus manufacturer Foton Mobility Distribution is set to build a 6,000 square metre electric bus manufacturing facility in South Nowra from late 2025, subject to council approval. This follows the Minns Government awarding a contract to Foton to deliver 126 battery electric buses that will be built in Nowra and service bus routes across Greater Sydney.
The facility will also produce battery electric trucks, as well as hydrogen fuel cell engines, creating around 100 ongoing quality, skilled manufacturing jobs for local workers.
The government's Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) program is also converting 11 existing bus depots in Greater Sydney to battery electric technology, building a new battery electric depot at Macquarie Park and procuring around 1,200 new electric buses by 2028.
November 2023