‘Joke of the world’: Warning as rapid bus plan for Western Sydney set to be probed in inquiry
A Western Sydney MP has fired a warning over a plan to link the region’s airport to the western suburbs, saying it risks making NSW a laughing stock.
NSW
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A plan to link the new Western Sydney Airport to the western suburbs with a fleet of rapid buses risks making NSW “the joke of the world”, with progress – or a lack thereof – on the scheme to be grilled in a parliamentary inquiry.
Kellyville MP Ray Williams raised concerns over Labor’s election promise to build 84 emission-free buses servicing the airport within two years, citing bus driver shortages and concerns that a lack of specific bus transit lanes could leave the vehicles languishing in traffic for hours.
“They’re expecting buses to operate on roads in the current traffic we have now,” he said.
“I think we are going to be the joke of the world – come to this fabulous new airport in western Sydney and get on a bus and spend an hour and a half getting to (western Sydney) because of the traffic.”
Mr Williams is the sole Liberal MP on a committee which will grill the transport infrastructure supporting the new airport and the surrounding aerotropolis, in a parliamentary inquiry announced last week. The Kellyville MP said he would pursue the bus links in the inquiry specifically.
“Are they building transit ways? Or are the so-called rapid buses going to be sitting in traffic in western Sydney?” he said.
The NSW Government announced in last year’s budget $302.7 million for the rapid bus network which would connect Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown to the airport.
Those western Sydney suburbs won’t benefit from direct links to the airport via the Western Sydney Airport Metro line, which is set to open the same year as the airport in 2026.
Mr Williams also raised concerns over the need for more bus drivers to service the region, at a time when the NSW Government is already facing a shortage of 250.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union voiced concerns earlier this year over the shortfall, with more drivers already needed to service the existing train line between Sydenham and Bankstown, which is due to shut later this year for 12 months when the heavy rail is converted to Metro standards.
A spokesman for Transport Minister Jo Haylen confirmed the buses would initially be rolled out on the existing road network surrounding the airport, with additional infrastructure – like bus transit lanes – to be introduced later.
He said details of the new buses needed for the fleet were sent to manufacturers last week.
“The government’s plan is to make sure there are services in place for when the new airport is open in 2026. We will then roll out the infrastructure that supports these bus services in stages,” he said.
“The bus driver shortage is a long term challenge for us, but the good news in Western Sydney is that the three bus regions that will service Western Sydney Airport have a very low vacancy rate.”
The former Coalition government hadn’t committed funding to the rapid bus scheme during their time in power, with the spokesman for Ms Haylen adding: “When the Liberals were in government they junked their bus plan for western Sydney airport”.
He said the western region of bus drivers has 14 vacancies, with drivers currently in training.
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