Empty ‘ghost buses’ clog inner Sydney roads in new battle over city bus routes

Empty ‘ghost buses’ are driving around harbourside suburbs of Sydney up to 21 hours per day and keeping residents awake. Here’s the latest as a Sydney bus operator faces calls to overhaul inner city bus routes.

It’s the Sydney bus problem with a difference.

While a dire lack of regular bus services is causing peak hour chaos for commuters on one half of the north shore, in another part of the region there are too many buses and residents say the impact on their streets is leaving them at their wits’ end.

It all centres on recent timetable changes that have resulted in a doubling in the number of buses on the 230 route from Mosman Wharf to North Sydney and Milsons Point which residents living along the route say has caused “noise” and “safety” impacts.

The timetable shake-up was introduced in January to coincide with the opening of the Sydney Metro line extension with the goal of connecting ferry commuters from Mosman Wharf to the new Victoria Cross station.

But some residents say the doubling of buses from 60 to 151 each day has “lacked justification” with many buses on the route seen barely used by passengers or empty altogether. Some residents have even described the empty vehicles as “ghost buses”.

Bus timetables on the route operate from 4.25am to 12.26am during weekday periods.

This has led to questions about why so many buses were added to the route at a time when commuters trying to catch buses a short distance away on Military Rd are face huge delays in travel times to the CBD due to a dire shortage of buses.

Jill Wedgewood, who lives on Avenue Rd near Mosman Wharf, said the timetable changes had resulted in the residential area becoming a bus layover zone with noisy buses clogging residential streets from 3am to past midnight, leaving homeowners with little respite in between.

Buses navigating local roads in Mosman.

Residents say buses are clogging local streets.

“We previously lived with open windows and had open use of our balconies but because of the increased frequency and noise we now live behind closed doors,” she said.

“It’s resulted in a significant loss in amenity for residents.”

Fellow resident David Cooper said the surge in bus numbers had caused safety issues with buses seen crossing double lines and driving over roundabouts as they navigate Mosman’s narrow bendy streets.

“Because there are more buses, the risk of buses doing the wrong thing more than doubled,” he said.

Commuters on Military Rd are facing lengthy commute times due to bus shortages.

Peak-hour bus queues for commuters on Military Rd.

“There are buses going all over the shop at speed to meet unreasonable timetables – it’s a safety risk.”

Mr Cooper is among residents now calling for private bus operator Keolis Downer to reallocate buses from the 230 to services on Military Rd to alleviate bus shortages.

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies said some of the timetable changes “lacked sense” including the need for services that depart from Mosman Wharf as early as 4.25am – more than two hours before the first ferry services arrive at the wharf.

The buses on the 230 route in Mosman.

In a statement, a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said the changes to the timetable were “guided by demand data from the Opal network and forecast future demand”.

“Trequency across route 230 was improved in January due to growth in patronage and providing better access to North Sydney and Victoria Cross stations,” she said.

“This improvement resulted in frequencies of every 15 minutes during the day on weekdays, every 20 minutes during the weekends and every 30 minutes in the late evening all week.

“The rollout of more zero emissions buses over 2025 and beyond will mean quieter vehicles and less impact on neighbourhoods.”

Mosman Council is now calling for a meeting with Transport for NSW to discuss a resolution to improve the amenity for impacted residents.

The Transport for NSW timetable shows there are 151 weekday bus services running on the 230 route between the hours of 4.25am and 12.26am.

Keolis Downer and Transport for NSW have been contacted for comment.