HillsBus commuters want to reinstate buses after Metro introduction

Frustrated bus commuters say the $7.3 billion Metro train line has thrown their journeys into disarray and have demanded services be reinstated.

Lynne and John Carruthers wait at the Merriville Rd bus stop in Kellyville Ridge. Picture: Angelo Velardo

• On-demand buses from The Ponds
• Metro comes to a standstill

Hills commuters have implored the government to reinstate bus services that have been scrapped after the Metro line opened in May.

Today — when a glitch put the Metro at a standstill — the 607X, the 610, 617X, 621, 642, 620N, 650 and 650X were altered or cut, hitting Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill and West Pennant Hills commuters.

Two change.org petitions to Transport Minister Andrew Constance have amassed 6000 signatures following backlash.

Kellyville Ridge resident Paula Capasso labelled the move a money grab to get an extra $4 each day for Hills commuters on the Metro.

She has been forced to leave work 30 minutes earlier to reach the bus stop at Bella Vista because the government axed the 607 from Rouse Hill Town Centre to the city.

The account manager is one of the commuters who must now park at Bella Vista station instead of walking to the Merriville Rd bus stop on the Kellyville Ridge T-way where she could take just one journey into the city to reach her job at Pyrmont.

The 607X no longer stops at the T-way Merriville Rd, Kellyville Ridge, forcing passengers to board at Bella Vista and add another leg to their trip to the city. Picture: Angelo Velardo

She welcomed the Metro but not at the expense of bus passengers.

“It needs to run co-currently,’’ she said.

“Metro is great but not for all destinations and not everyone wants to get three modes of transport when they can get one.”

Mrs Capasso, who has caught the 607 for two years, disputed the government’s remarks that there was less demand for HillsBus services since the Metro opened.

“That has been getting busier and busier and busier,’’ she said.

“It’s standing-room only and I’ve been getting the bus 4.30, 4.15 so it’s not even the peak of the peak hour.”

She said the rollout was a disaster: “It’s just a shambles and feels like it’s been very secretive.”

The couple isn’t impressed with the changes. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Kellyville Ridge couple John and Lynne Carruthers slammed Riverstone state Liberal MP Kevin Conolly for abandoning commuters after the government said 607 bus patronage dropped 36 per cent between Bella Vista to Rouse Hill during the morning peak hour since the Metro opened.

“What’s he doing for the 64 per cent who continue to use it and are members of his electorate?” he said.

Mr Conolly said it was still possible to travel by bus to the CBD from all stops but would involve a change at Bella Vista for T-way commuters.

“These residents will have a choice of bus travel or the Metro,’’ he said.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said the bus changes reduced the duplication of the network and included the rollout of extra services on key routes.

“This includes enhancements to services to connect customers to the Metro throughout the day in areas like Rouse Hill, Kellyville, Bella Vista and Castle Hill,’’ he said.

The 607X no longer runs directly from Rouse Hill Town Centre to the city. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“Some residential precincts will be getting bus services for the first time, including Arnold Ave in Kellyville and Foxall Rd in North Kellyville.

“Regular M2 services will continue to run between the north west, Macquarie Park, North Sydney and the CBD.”

Baulkham Hills state Liberal MP David Elliott said he only received 12 bus complaints from his constituents.

Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams denied the government had removed bus services but amended routes and had raised issues with Transport Minister Andrew Constance.

“No one likes to lose a favourite bus service and we apologise for any inconvenience these changes may cause,” he said.

“However our suburbs now have more interconnected public transport services than ever.

“Prior to the last state election, we advised residents we would be providing an additional 2000 new interconnected bus services to link people directly from our suburbs to the Northwest Metro, that is exactly what we have done.”

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But opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns urged the “stubborn and bullish” government to reinstate the buses instead of forcing commuters to use the train without adequate feeder buses or parking at stations.

“For most users — including CBD office workers, university students and senior citizens in the areas’s many retirement villages — this additional travel leg will be both time consuming and potentially expensive, forcing travellers to find their way to the metro station and change services at Chatswood,’’ he said.

Mr Minns labelled the government’s lack of consultation a joke.

“Other crucial routes such as the 620X from the city to Cherrybrook have been eliminated in the evenings, stranding office workers looking to get home after 7.35pm.

“The careless scrapping of these door to CBD bus services is yet another broken promise by this Liberal government, with Minister Constance previously assuring commuters that there would be no cuts to bus services in the northwest — clearly a bald-faced lie.”