900 Parramatta shuttle bus gets new route

The State Government has made a decision following public backlash about a free bus service at Parramatta as part of the light rail project.

Many passengers were keen to keep the Loop bus operating through Parramatta.

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Parramatta’s free 900 shuttle bus service will remain operating but travel along a different route from Saturday, February 1.

The decision to keep the service comes nine months after outrage when the government planned to cut it as part of the Parramatta Light Rail project.

The service links commuters within the Parramatta CBD to points such as Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta Leagues Club and the Riverside Theatre.

In March, commuters such as Kim Trevithick, who is a quadriplegic and relies on the service, were outraged about the government’s plan to scrap the service.

The Loop free shuttle bus service 900 runs through Parramatta.

Ms Trevithick said she would be forced to spend $40 a day to use wheelchair-access taxis around Parramatta if the service shut.

Parramatta state Liberal MP Geoff Lee said the government elected to retain the service following community feedback.

“We believe we have developed a solution that will enable the service to continue during Parramatta Light Rail construction with minimal disruption to daily commutes,’’ he said.

The new route for the Loop.

The free shuttle bus, operated by Transdev NSW for Transport for NSW, services the Parramatta CBD in a loop from 7am to 6.30pm Mondays to Fridays, and from 8am to 4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

The modified route will see the shuttle bus run along George St instead of Macquarie St, one block north from its previous route.

The shuttle bus will also turn right into Villiers St from Grose St, heading south with a new stop at Prince Alfred Square, before turning left on to Phillip St.

Mr Lee said the new route had been designed with a focus on minimal change.

“We have created a route as close as possible to the original, serving the community

with the same levels of convenience and ease as before,” he said.

The first stage of the Parramatta Light Rail will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia and is expected to start services in 2023.