Northern beaches: Parents furious after NSW Transport axes school bus services

Transport for NSW will introduce a range of new routes and extra buses on the peninsula after a raft of complaints from commuters and parents of schoolkids.

Some popular school bus routes are being reinstated, as well as new and extra bus services, following uproar from residents on the northern beaches and north shore.

The changes will come into play from March 1.

A total of 13 service adjustments are being made to the bus network to help make journeys easier for school students and local customers, including the reinstated school bus routes, new and extended bus services, and the use of articulated – or ‘bendy’ – buses on some existing routes to increase capacity.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos FEBRUARY, 10, 2021: NSW Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance speaks to media at Parliament House in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

“The introduction of the bus service adjustments is in response to feedback received from schools, parents, local MPs and other customers since we made changes to the network in December 2020,” a spokesman for Transport for NSW said.

More than 30 schools will be conacted to ensure they are aware of the changes that affect their students, and asking them to help inform parents.

Some adjustments to bus services were made across the local area earlier this month, including some additional peak services, creating more capacity on some routes, and reinstating the 765n school service at 3.38pm from Milsons Point to Manly.

Cr Sarah Grattan has been campaigning for a better bus service. Picture: Supplied.

The March 1 adjustments include reinstating school bus routes 766n and 767n from Avalon to Dee Why (continuing to Milsons Point), and the 689n from Mona Vale and Balgowlah Boys High School. There will also be a new morning school route 707n trip from North Balgowlah to Milsons Point.

For more information, including a breakdown of all the changes, go to transportnsw.info.

PREVIOUSLY

A councillor has called for the new northern beaches bus timetable to be reversed saying it was not working for schoolchildren or commuters.

Cr Sarah Grattan said residents in Balgowlah had been negatively impacted by the changes.

Last week, Transport for NSW reacted to the uproar from residents by introducing extra buses, some new services and reinstating a cancelled route.

Parents said changes to services on December 20 have left their children stranded and unable to get to school, while commuters are complaining they are being forced to get back in their cars because the new timetable is not working.

Cr Grattan said the extra services announced last week were not enough and said the peninsula should revert back to the previous timetable.

“We need to revert back to the old system,” Cr Grattan said.

“The buses are a shambles.”

Older buses from Brookvale bus depot pictured on the Northern Beaches. Bus 3338 pictured outside a school.

Cr Grattan said some Balgowlah Heights commuters were finding their journey to the city was taking between 10 to 20 minutes longer and they were now driving instead.

She said there were also issues with buses struggling to pass other buses in residential streets in Balgowlah.

She said the council was undertaking an independent safety audit in that area following concerns.

On Wednesday Transport for NSW announced it had added extra services to help make journeys easier.

State Transit is now operating four additional weekday services in peak times, one in the morning and three in the afternoon peaks, and has increased capacity by replacing two buses with larger ‘bendy’ buses on two morning services.

As part of the changes, the 3.38pm 765N from Milsons Point to Manly is being reinstated, following changes made to the local network in December 2020.

The changes provide extra capacity to existing routes like those between Manly and Seaforth, while also creating new services between Balgowlah and Warringah Mall, and between Spit Junction and Milsons Point.

The introduction of the additional services is in response to feedback received from schools, parents, local MPs and other customers since changes were made to the network.

Bus services are to be increased. Picture: Adam Yip / Manly Daily

“We’ve been able to make these small changes quickly in areas where it will make the most difference to customers now, while we continue to assess opportunities to make additional changes to address feedback on school services,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.

Changes introduced on Wednesday include:

– New service

Route 154X – 8.16am from Spit Junction, arriving Milsons Point 8.52am, Mondays to Thursdays. This new service provides an opportunity for students travelling from Avalon to transfer from the 190X to the new 154X at Spit Junction.

– Additional capacity

Route 162 – 7.08am from Manly Wharf, arriving Seaforth Shops 7.32am, and route 172X – 7.34am from Seaforth Shops, arriving Wynyard 8.15am. These existing routes will now be serviced by the larger articulated – or ‘bendy’ – buses.

Afternoon peak new services

Route 173X – 3.24pm from Balgowlah Boys to Warringah Mall. (Route to be serviced by an articulated – or ‘bendy’ – bus).

Route 173X – 3:40pm from Balgowlah Boys to Dee Why.

765N – 3.38pm from Milsons Point, arriving Manly 4.25pm (This service is being reinstated)

PREVIOUSLY

By Madelaine Wong

Parents from Sydney’s northern beaches have expressed anger and shock after learning school bus services were canned by NSW Transport without warning.

For many parents, the discovery was made the day before students returned to school, giving them little time to arrange alternate transport for the morning.

The cancelled bus services which provided transport for students travelling to schools in other areas include the 575n, 576n, 577n, 599n, 623n, 654n, 663n, 689n, 694n, 697n, 703n, 765n, 766n, 767n, 773n and 788n.

James Griffin, Manly MP, said he was blindsighted by the changes to school buses. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Manly MP James Griffin said he learnt schools were advised about the changes in October and again on January 21.

He has written to the Transport Minister expressing his concerns about the limited communication over the changes.

“I am appalled that children returning to school have been left stranded in my community,” Mr Griffin said.

“This is entirely unacceptable that there has been no communication to parents that these bus services would not be going ahead or have changed.

“I am working with the Minister for Transport and Transport Officials to have this issue resolved as soon as possible.”

Northern beaches councillor Sarah Grattan said she only became aware of the transport changes after she saw parents posting about it on Facebook yesterday.

“Kids are going to bed and we all of sudden had to find a new way to get them to school today,” Cr Grattan said.

Northern Beaches councillor Sarah Grattan said she was forced to drive her children to school on their first day back to school.

“There was no warning, no consultation. You’d think they’d send out a letter to parents.

“My daughter’s in Year 10 she’s been catching it since she was in Year 5. It drops the kids along the schools on the way and there used to be a bus that brought the kids home again and those bus services are gone entirely.”

Cr Grattan is demanding for Transport to reinstate the services.

“I’m just confounded, what did they think was going to happen today? The whole model relies on parents driving part of or the whole way.

“The traffic was mental today, we had no time to plan. The government is expecting them to change buses at Neutral Bay or Mosman. They’re expecting them to go on long walks between bus stops and they’re carrying these heavy bags.

The 660 school bus has been canned among other services which help students to travel around.

“Kids need routine and managing the anxiety of going back to school is one thing, but throwing transport changes into the mix is distressing, especially young kids.”

Seaforth mother Megan Lusk said she noticed the changes in December 2020.

Her children attend North Sydney Boys High School and Shore School.

“The 173 was really well patronised, there were about three buses a morning and today my husband had to get onto the bus with my son because he had no idea how to change and could have ended up in Wynyard,” Ms Lusk said.

“There was no community consultation and it was just ousted. It’s ridiculous and it’s going to cause a traffic jam. It will put more people on the roads, and I don’t think that’s what we want.”

Transport for NSW Acting Deputy Secretary for Greater Sydney Howard Collins. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Northern beaches resident and mother Megan Campbell said the Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf and wider Seaforth communities were “angry and bewildered”.

“Safe, reliable transportation to school should be a basic community service,” Ms Campbell said.

“These changes do not suit family routines, school timetables, nor does it suit the public who will have to share the bus with large numbers of schoolchildren which creates a safety issue.”

Students from the northern beaches who attend North Sydney boys school will have to find another transport route to school. Picture: John Grainger

Transport for NSW maintains that communications were sent to schools and meetings were held with council staff in September and November.

In response to complaints made by parents, a Transport for NSW spokesman said it will “deploy customer service staff to key locations on the Northern Beaches to assist students returning to school”.

“Additional buses will also be on standby to assist. Transport for NSW apologises for the confusion and concern caused to parents and children as a result of changes to school routes.”

The school bus services that have been canned have been replaced by additional services on regular routes or trip extensions on regular routes.

Route changes have also been made to 597n, 687n, 709n and 723n while routes renumbered are 655w, 660w, 661w.

A full list of changes to transport can be viewed here.