Northern beaches bus changes: Which services are being cut and what it means for you
Changes to the northern beaches bus timetable are ‘catastrophic’ say a transport union, which has compiled a list direct routes that have been cut, including the well-loved and sometimes reviled, L90. READ HOW YOU WILL BE IMPACTED HERE:
Manly
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The famous L90 bus service from Palm Beach to the city will be scrapped along with a number of other direct bus routes on the northern beaches, as part of a complete overhaul.
The L90 – which was recently renamed the 190X – was the longest continuous bus journey in Sydney and has had a place in the hearts of the northern beaches community for decades.
Also dubbed the Hell 90, it was also notorious for its rowdy late night revellers.
Nevertheless, changes will mean there will be no direct route from Palm Beach to the city when the new bus changes come into force in December.
Palm Beach residents will still be able to travel to Manly direct on the more frequent 199, but will have to change for a city service.
It comes as the service is due to be privatised.
An analysis of the changes announced by NSW Transport last week has found many commuters will now have to change two or possibly three times to get to the city, with some journeys estimated to take longer.
The NSW Government says it has made the changes after studying Opal card data, which has revealed which services are being underused.
And, it also says the new “hub and spoke model” will see more frequent services taking people to the main transport route serviced by the B-Line and other express buses giving people more choice.
However, commuters living away from the B-Line say they will be most impacted by the changes, with many direct city services cancelled, including ones from Balgowlah Heights, Narraweena, Elanora Heights, Bilgola Plateau and Clareville, and Palm Beach.
They will be forced to take short journeys in order to connect with city services from main bus stops.
A survey of commuters in Balgowlah found that 30 per cent of those impacted by the changes will get in their cars instead.
HOW WILL YOU BE IMPACTED:
*178/178X Cromer Heights to Wynyard service will see passengers have to get off at the B-Line in Dee Why to get an express to the city.
*179X War Vets to direct to city service withdrawn. They can change at Warringah Mall for a B-Line.
*The 171/171X direct city service from Balgowlah Heights and Clontarf will also disappear, with passengers changing at Seaforth to the city.
*There will be no direct service from Balgowlah Heights to Warringah Mall, with passengers changing at Seaforth.
*The 170 Manly weekend service to city withdrawn.
*168/168X Milsons Point services will be culled. Passengers will have to get two services to get to Milsons Point, either at Manly Vale or Spit Junction.
*169 Manly to city via Narraweena, cancelled.
*166X will be withdrawn from the Skyline shops to the city.
*Passengers will have to get onto the 74X to Manly Vale from Narraweena via Skyline or get the 136 to Warringah Road and get 141 to Seaforth shops and transfer to 172X to the city.
*183X from Elanora Heights withdrawn, no direct service to the city.
*Similar for the 189X/E89 from Avalon, via Bilgola Plateau and Clareville.
*185X from Mona Vale to city cancelled
*From Narrabeen there used to be six direct city services during the morning peak hour under the changes there will now only be three.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW which helped to compile the list of direct services cut said the changes are a “catastrophic overhaul” and a betrayal of the community.
David Babineau, from The Rail, Tram and Bus Union Bus Division said the NSW Government had made a “dog’s breakfast out of the network” ahead of the privatisation of the service.
“These changes to the bus network reveal the scale of deliberate deception by the NSW Government over recent months and how it has sold out local commuters across northern Sydney,” Mr Babineau, Secretary of the Tram and Bus Division of RTBU NSW, said.
“This is exactly what happened in the Inner West and Newcastle when bus operations were privatised.
“Stops were removed, routes were cancelled or changed, and commuters were left with longer travel times, forced to take two or three buses where they once took only one.
“When the union campaigned on this issue, people in northern Sydney often expressed disbelief that the government would ever do that to their local bus services.
“Now we see the extent to which they’ve been sold out, and commuters in the eastern suburbs and Ryde areas will be next.”
Two councillors, Cr Sarah Grattan and Cr Kylie Ferguson have lodged notices of motion in relation to the changes following complaints from residents over the changes.
One user, David Griffin, 72, of Balgowlah Heights, said it will make it difficult for him to get into the city for medical appointments and to carry his shopping home from Warringah Mall, if he has to change at Seaforth.
“Why are they cutting back when it’s not necessary?” he said.
“Pre COVID the buses were really busy.
“Public transport should not be a profit-making concern.”
Meanwhile, John Brondum, 49, of Bilgola Plateau, said he will have to buy a car or move house as a result of changes.
He said he will have to catch a bus going north, in the wrong direction for 40 minutes, in order to connect with a city service at Avalon, extending his journey to two hours each way.
Both state MPs Rob Stokes and James Griffin told the Manly Daily they will pass on any concerns from residents to NSW Transport.
In the NSW Transport announcement last week it promised 2000 new services, a 24/7 B-Line service, a rapid East to West route from Dee Why to Chatswood and more frequent services on other routes.
“Building on the success of the B-Line, we have established an all-day frequent network across the region, including the new Dee Why to Chatswood service, as part of 2000 additional weekly services,” Mr Griffin said.
“I am aware that some service changes have caused concern for commuters and I am taking these concerns directly to Transport for NSW.”