Holsworthy parents slam 902X bus service after students allegedly left to walk kilometres to school

Southwest Sydney students have been forced to walk kilometres to school in record temperatures after parents claim their bus driver refused to drop them off at school.

Southwest Sydney students have been forced to walk kilometres to school in record temperatures after parents claim their bus driver refused to drop them off at school.

Students from Holsworthy Primary School, Holsworthy High School and St Christopher’s Catholic Primary School were allegedly told to get off the 902X bus in Hammondville on November 26, as the mercury soared to well above 30C.

Western Sydney mother Jasmine Turnbull urged the community to report the incident to Transport for NSW following a string of issues with privatised bus routes in the past.

“This is simply not good enough … our kids deserve a safe and reliable way to get to school,” Ms Turnbull said.

The 37-year-old said despite the bus being 20 minutes late, the driver didn’t stop at Holsworthy Primary School, Holsworthy High School or St Christopher’s Catholic Primary School – even though the kids asked him to.

Instead, he made all the students, including her eight-year-old daughter, get off at Walder Rd in Hammondville and walk along the main road to reach the school.

Private company Transit Systems has also taken over inner west bus services from Transport for NSW. Picture: John Appleyard.

“They were then forced to walk back to school and some of the Holsworthy Primary School kids had to walk nearly 2km,” Ms Turnbull said.

“When my daughter told me, I immediately picked her and my neighbour’s children up and drove them to school myself.”

Ms Turnbull said her daughter was “very upset” and left shaken by the incident.

“You put so much trust in public transport to get our kids to school, but sometimes you don’t even know they’re going to get to school safely,” she said.

The irregular bus schedule had been “going on for years”, Ms Turnbull said, with buses between five and 30 minutes late “three out of the five days of the week”.

“The knock-on effect is the kids are late to school then their late arrival goes on their permanent record as a partial absence, and then at the end of the year they have a report that says 20 partial absences,” she said.

A child on the school walk. Generic picture: Andrew Lee

Ms Turnbull also questioned the merit of a school bus service if parents could not trust their children would be safely picked up and dropped off at the school gate.

A spokesperson for the bus operator, Transit Systems, “sincerely apologised to the affected students and parents for any inconvenience caused”.

“We are currently investigating a report regarding the 902X service and will ensure the matter is reviewed alongside Transport for NSW and resolved urgently,” the spokesperson said.

“All drivers are required to report any instance of school service inability to the operator, whether that’s running late or a reliability issue, so we can assess the situation and ensure improvements are made.”

Holsworthy state Liberal MP Tina Ayyad said multiple constituents had told her they had raised concerns with Transit Systems, to no avail.

“They either got a generic or no response,” Ms Ayyad said.

“It’s just not right – our children and the elderly who rely on public transport deserve so much better.

“It is incumbent on the bus operator to run reliable, timely and safe services, but that is clearly not the case and it is putting the safety of children at risk.”

Ms Ayyad said the privatisation of bus services in Liverpool and the Sutherland Shire was to blame.

Walder Rd, Hammondville, where children were dropped off.

“The model has worked in the past and does not explain why bus drivers are missing stops and running extremely late,” she said.

“The private operators have a lot to answer for, and it is up to the state government to ensure there is effective oversight and monitoring to keep the buses running on time and efficiently.”

Ms Ayyad assured residents the issue had been raised directly with Transport Minister Jo Haylen, alongside proposals to enforce penalties for poor performance.

Ms Haylen hit back at the Holsworthy MP, laying the blame at the feet of the former Coalition government.

“Tina Ayyad’s Liberal Party signed bus contracts just weeks before the 2023 election,” a spokesperson for Ms Haylen said.

“They didn’t rewrite these contracts to deliver better bus services for passengers, and they signed them before the people of NSW could have their say.

“Hopefully Tina will now support the Minns Labor Government’s plan to make bus services better and to make sure bus contracts put passengers first.

“Transport for NSW have been in contact with the operator and is investigating this matter.”