New buses to rival B-Line will take commuters direct from Newport to CBD
A PRIVATE commuter bus service is being set up on the northern beaches to take on the B-Line express buses — and here’s why it could be goods news for those left frustrated by last month’s decision to scrap the B-Line extension to Newport.
Manly
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A PRIVATE commuter bus service is being set up on the northern beaches to take on the B-Line express.
Slingshot Chartered Commute wants to attract CBD workers frustrated by the State Government’s decision last month not to extend the B-Line from Mona Vale to Newport.
Set up by business consultancy Tricky Jigsaw, and using a coach chartered from North Sydney Bus Charters, the service is holding a free trial on Thursday morning.
Slingshot is the brainchild of Tyson Rose, who works for Tricky Jigsaw in the city and who moved to Bilgola Plateau in Mach with his wife Mags.
The couple were recently featured in the reality real estate program Buying Blind. They lived close to the city before the move,
Mr Rose said commuters who travel into the CBD have been invited to book a ticket on the Slingshot trial run.
It is using the lure of a non-stop 60-minute journey from the carpark at Newport Beach to the corner of Gresham and Bridge streets in the city as well as fares comparable to the B-Line, and free 4G Wi-Fi on board the bus and reserved, reclining leather seats.
There will be no standing on the Slingshot.
“I didn’t want to give up my career in the city and I didn’t know how I was going to handle a three-hour round trip into the city each day,” Mr Rose said.
“It wasn’t long before I realised a lot of other people are in the same situation.”
In the first phase of the trial Slingshot is just offering journeys into the CBD. There will be no return buses available yet.
Mr Rose said they wanted to set the service up “like an office on wheels” to allow people who want to work, to use their computers on-board.
“Because it has reserved seating, there will be no people in the aisle standing close to you as they do on public transport and invading you personal space.”
Depending on bookings, Slingshot is hoping to expand the number of the services it offers and, potentially, offer return journeys from the city.
Mr Rose said a service from Dee Why may be a future option.
IN OTHER NEWS
After scrapping the B-Line extension to Newport, the government promised it would look at other ways to improve bus services north of Mona Vale.
“We’ve listened to the community and it’s clear that the most popular solution to improve public transport in the short term is to enhance existing bus services to meet the travel needs of Newport, Avalon Beach and the surrounding suburbs,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said at the tome.
The spokesman said the feedback from locals was a “clear message”, that the B-line extension was not wanted.
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