The NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced on Thursday, October 24th, 2019 that public bus services for the northern beaches (and Pittwater) will be privatised.
The Government will invite the world’s leading public transport operators, Australian and international, to bid for contracts for 13 of Sydney’s bus contract regions over the next three years. This will include the three remaining State Transit operated regions.
Mr Constance said a competitive tender of all Sydney metropolitan bus contracts will enable the NSW Government to reinvest more into delivering better services to commuters.
“We know customers want more buses, more often, as well as a mix of bus services that cater to their needs. This includes high-frequency services on major routes, like the B-Line, and frequent direct options such as on-demand services for short, local trips.” Mr Constance said this week
“The NSW Government will engage with the private sector to transform the current, one-size-fits-all model of service delivery, to one with multiple service types including high-capacity routes and local and on-demand travel.”
Contracts for the three remaining State Transit Regions 7, 8*, and 9 – covering Ryde, Gladesville, the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore, the CBD, and the Eastern Suburbs will be included and be put out to tender by early 2020.
The NSW Government will continue to:
- own State Transit buses and all other assets such as depots,
- regulate timetables, safety, and service priorities, and
- set fares as they are today, under the Opal system.
The NSW Greens state the government is placing corporate profits ahead of the needs of local residents in its sell off of the Northern Beaches bus system.
Northern Beaches Greens convenor Miranda Korzy called on local state MPs to ensure the decision is reversed.
“Public transport should run for the benefit of the community – not so a private company can make a buck,” Ms Korzy said.
"Forcing residents into their cars or Keoride by reducing the number of stops on the B-line was a precursor to the sell off - so private operators will have a minimal number of stops to service.
“Wait now to see other local services cut or fares rise – especially those with fewer passengers, later at night or to the farther reaches of the peninsula.”
NSW Greens Upper House MP and Transport spokesperson Abigail Boyd said the Liberals sell-off of the three remaining publicly - operated bus regions in Sydney spells disaster for affected communities with commuters expected to suffer from more delays and poorer service.
“Once again the NSW Liberal-National government has put corporate interests ahead of getting commuters to work on time,” Ms Boyd said.
“Every time this government has sold off public transport services it has seen decreased patronage, more delays and lower commuter satisfaction.
The government cited poor performance of buses run by State Transit as justification for its decision to privatise services in the inner west last year. Since then figures from the state’s transport agency have shown the punctuality of buses in the inner west have worsened since the private operator replaced State Transit.
The running of Sydney’s government-owned ferries was placed in private hands in 2012. The government is effectively moving to privatise the operation of the Bankstown rail line through the inner west from Sydenham to Bankstown by converting the railway to carry single-deck driverless trains.
The expected announcement comes one day after local state MP's announced an extension of services for commuters to the northern beaches hospital.
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