Local concern as eastern suburbs bus routes to be axed

Thousands of people, including the elderly disabled, students and nurses, say they’ll be stranded by a plan to axe eastern Sydney bus routes.

The elderly, disabled, students and nurses are among the thousands who say they will be left stranded under a controversial proposal to axe some Sydney bus routes.

Plans to eliminate 25 bus routes, modify another 23 and introduce 11 new ones in Sydney’s southeast sparked a rally at Randwick’s High Cross Park on Sunday.

More than 400 people gathered for the protest — chanting “shame” and “save our buses”.

Coogee State Labor MP Marjorie O’Neill told the crowd the government was axing the buses to force people onto the light rail.

“(The government) is forcing us to use their infrastructure that we never wanted. They are supposed to be making our lives easier,” Ms O’Neill told the crowd.

Angry local resident Jane Scott at the protest at High Cross Park in Randwick. Picture: Richard Dobson

Maroubra State Labor MP Michael Daley — who is currently making a tilt at the party leadership — said: “You can’t provide a better service with fewer buses and drivers”.

Those living in Maroubra, Eastgardens, Pagewood, Little Bay, Malabar, Botany, Coogee, Kingsford, Kensington, Mascot, Rosebery, Waterloo, Zetland, Randwick, Waverley and Bondi Junction will all be affected by the proposed changes.

The plans are currently open for public feedback until June 18.

Under the proposed changes, those on routes 373, 339 and 397 from Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra would have to walk 30 minutes, instead of three, or catch a second bus to get to Taylor Square. And the removal of the 400 bus would force other Coogee residents to walk 25 minutes to get to the South Coogee airport bus stop.

Maureen Ryan, 83, is worried about how the changes will affect her. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Coogee resident Maureen Ryan, 83, said she would have less services on her street to get to her specialists at Bondi Junction Shopping Centre.

She can’t drive due to a medical condition and can’t walk long distances because of a recent knee replacement.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get around now,” she said.

Nurse Michael Fotulis uses the 373 bus to get to work at St Vincent’s Hospital from Coogee. “They really haven’t thought about it properly and spoken to the community to understand the impact on Coogee residents,” he said.

St Vincent's Nurse Michael Fotulis will have to walk 30 minutes from the city to get to work because of a proposed bus route shake-up. Photo: Monique Harmer

A local resident with a banner listing bus routes at the rally in High Cross Park. Picture: Richard Dobson

University of NSW Student Representative Council president Tom Kennedy said he feared cuts to the M10, M50, 891, 893 and 898 services, would make students run late to class. “The biggest issue is students coming from Town Hall,” he said.

“Instead of taking 15 minutes on a bus, the light rail will take 25 minutes, so a 50 per cent increase in travel time.”

Transport Minister Andrew Constance accused Labor of spreading misinformation. “Transport for NSW has been trying to brief the local Labor MPs about the changes since they were announced at the start of May, but they refused to schedule in a briefing until after today’s rally,” Mr Constance said.

“They’ve been spreading lies about the proposed changes without accessing the correct information that we have been trying to make available to them. The proposed changes will actually see capacity ­increase by up to 45 per cent in peak hours, and empty services redirected to areas that need them the most.”

St Peters resident Jane Scott, who is wheelchair-bound, said she would physically be unable to get to work at Little Bay without the bus.

“I need to be able to get the bus. I’m not able to drive a car. I won’t be able to get to work without these buses,” Ms Scott said.

The plans are currently open for public feedback here until June 18.