Sydney bus driver strike: Commuter frustration continues
UPDATE: Confusion continued to reign this evening as bus services failed to run and train stations and light rail stops became flooded with extra commuters trying to get home.
NSW
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CONFUSION continued to reign this evening as bus services failed to run and train stations and light rail stops became flooded with extra commuters trying to get home.
Commuters were advised to factor in extra travel time to get home and every bus passenger was forced to find alternative modes of transport as the 24-hour strike continued.
The light rail between the city and Lilyfield was jam-packed with commuters, and above-average numbers of commuters packed into Town Hall underground.
“Replacement buses have been offering limited replacement services between the city and Five Dock and Burwood,” transport Management spokesman Derek Peterson said.
“They have been in high demand — that system has been working well,” he said.
The strike is due to finish at midnight tonight.
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“We have some buses running from Railway Square to Five Dock and Burwood — a limited service of routes 438 and the 461,” a Transport Management Centre spokeswoman said.
“They’ll be from the city — outbound only. The’ll already start running 3pm and they’ll go to 7pm.”
“There are no school buses running. We’ve asked parents to make other arrangements.
“We’re asking people who normally get a bus to catch the train or the light rail instead.
“There are going to be people using different modes of transport, expect some extra numbers on light rail and ferries.”
CBD Co-ordinator General Marg Prendergast said extra bus services will be put on for journeys home from the CBD, with privately owned buses expected to run along Parramatta Road to Five Dock and Burwood from Railway Square.
“We will prioritise those buses to really service the school runs so we can get the kids home this afternoon,” she said.
There will be extra staff and services on the city’s train and light rail services, which are expected to experience a big surge in passengers as people look to alternatives to the buses.
“We’ve worked really hard overnight to provide a good service to our commuters, the best we could in the face of what was a sudden and significant disruption – we had very little time to prepare,” Ms Prendergast added.
“We’re really hoping bus drivers do turn up for work this afternoon.
“You need to allow plenty of travel time and we really thank customers for being patient. We’ve done our best.
“We have extra staff on Sydney Trains and Sydney Light Rail and we have extra services on both and we are going to have pink shirt customer service staff throughout the city.”
Commuters are advised to visit the website transportnsw.info for the most up-to-date information.
Dozens of striking drivers appeared at a press conference with union bosses near State Parliament this morning and strongly indicated they will not be heading back to work today, defying the orders of the Industrial Relations Commission.
Hope the #busstrike goes in favour of the government drivers. Nothing worse than private bus companies who run their drivers to the ground
— JAYWILLMUA (@jaywillmua) May 18, 2017
On commute home - solidarity with Sydney bus drivers on #Sydneybusstrike. I â¤ï¸public transport #nswpol
— Elyse Methven (@ElyseMethven) May 18, 2017
Hope the couple I saw waiting for a 408 in Rookwood have worked out that there's a #busstrike on by now.
— Justin of Earlwood (@JustinOEarlwood) May 18, 2017
Stranded commuters expressed their frustration after hundreds of bus drivers failed to turn up for work this morning despite a late-night ruling that any stop-work action would be illegal.
Claire Hong, 13, from Newington missed her maths test in the first period at Concord High School because she couldn’t get the bus to school in time.
Along with her brother Daniel, 17, they tried to get to school for over an hour before their mother said they could come home because she didn’t want them to be stranded.
“We tried to get to school for one hour and we were waiting for the bus for a long time,” Daniel said.
“Finally we caught one bus and Mum called and said we could come home.
“We are really upset. I have a maths test in first period. And if we did go to school, we wouldn’t be able to come home this afternoon because there would be no buses,” Claire Hong said.
Last night the Industrial Relations Commission ordered that the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and its members immediately cease organising or taking any form of strike action against the planned privatisation of some bus services in the Inner West.
The long haul. Victoria Road slow both ways as 1200 bus drivers go on strike! @deborahclay #Sydney #busstrike pic.twitter.com/IHRhdrJ7OT
— KIIS 1065 (@kiis1065) May 17, 2017
The union was ordered to notify its members of the IRC decision by 10pm through its website and social media. It did not appear to have done so by 10.30pm.
This morning a spokesman for the union confirmed industrial action had gone ahead and that Sydney bus passengers should make alternative travel plans.
The action affects four depots in the areas to be privatised: Leichhardt, Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe.
Bianca Celestino was one of many commuters stranded on Burwood Road waiting for the bus this morning.
When The Daily Telegraph informed her that her regular bus to work wouldn’t be running, she was shocked and had no idea.
“I’ve been waiting for my bus for 45 minutes. I’m going to be late to work to Drummoyne,” Ms Celestino said.
“I had no idea. I’m probably going to have to get a train now. I was standing here wondering why my bus wasn’t coming.”
John Geray, 60, was stranded at Burwood bus stop for 45 minutes waiting for his bus to Five Dock that never arrived.
“I’m going to Five Dock and I’m late for work. How am I going to get there?” He said.
“I think my boss will be mad at me. I’ve been waiting for 45 minutes wondering where my bus was.”
Melissa Avouhamad from Fairfield was forced to catch a taxi this morning after finding out her 464 bus wasn’t going to arrive.
“There is no other way than for me to catch a cab. I have to get to Breakfast Point,” Ms Avouhamad said.
“Why wouldn’t they notify anyone? Now I’ll be late for work. I’m really annoyed because it’s going to cost me $20 instead of $1.20,” she said.
Transport Management Centre spokesman Dave Wright said they were doing all they could to alleviate the traffic congestion, even letting schoolkids use their opal bus passes on trains and ferries.
“We are urging people travelling in the Inner West and south of Sydney to please make alternative arrangements,” he said.
“We’ve got five extra tow trucks and seven traffic commanders to eradicate any incidents on the roads this morning because we are expecting high volumes of traffic on the roads.
“We will have extra light rail services and a standby train in Ashfield to alleviate crowding.
“We will also be massaging the traffic lights as a result of the congestion at the key thoroughfares along Parramatta Road.”
Mr Wright said some drivers were not notified the strike was illegal.
“Most of the drivers have not been told that the strike was cancelled after the IRC said it was illegal last night,” he said.
“So many of those drivers have now not shown up for work at Leichardt, Tempe and Burwood depots.”
Mr Wright said those bus drivers that have turned up for work will be filling some of the school routes.
“Parents are advised to make alternate arrangements for their kids but we have allowed schoolchildren’s regular bus opal cards to work on all modes of transport.
“So if catching a train works better for some school kids when they regularly catch the bus then we have allowed them to use their opal card today. It’s normally strictly a bus card.”
The RTBU has accused Transport Minister Andrew Constance of incompetence and says he backflipped on written assurances last year the routes wouldn’t be privatised.
Mr Constance, however, condemned the action. “This call for a strike is about union bosses putting themselves before customers, egged on by the Labor Party,” he said.
Mr Constance said Inner West drivers would continue their employment under the new operator.
The plan would see the contract for Bus Region 6, which runs 233 routes from Olympic Park in the city’s west to Kensington in the city’s southeast, put out to private tender to ensure a more reliable service.
The government will continue to set Opal fares and timetables and regulate safety standards once the routes are privatised.
SCHOOL BUS SERVICES AFFECTED:
560S 561S 562S 563S 565S 566S 567S 568S 569S 570S
571S 572S 573S 574S 575S 576S 577S 578S 579S 580S
581S 582S 583S 584S 585S 586S 587S 588S 589S 590S
591S 592S 593S 595S 596S 597S 598S 600S 601S 602S
603S 604S 605S 606S 607S 608S 609S 610S 611S 612S
613S 614S 615S 616S 617S 618S 619S 620S 621S 622S
623S 624S 625S 626S 627S 628S 629S 630S 631S 632S
633S 634S 635S 636S 637S 638S 639S 640S 641S 642S
643S 644S 645S 646S 647S 648S 650S 651S 652S 654S
655S 656S 657S 658S 659S 660S 661S 662S 663S 664S
670S 671S 672S 673S 674S 675S 676S 677S 678S 679S
680S 681S 682S 683S 684S 685S 690S 691S 692S 693S
700S 701S 702S 710S 711S 712S 713S 714S 715S 716S
718S 720S 721S 725S 726S 730S 731S 732S 733S 734S
735S 736S 738S 740S 741S 743S 745S 750S 751S 753S
755S 757S 760S 761S 762S 763S 764S 765S 766S 767S
768S 769S 770S 780S 781S
Customers should check transportnsw.info for the latest information.
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