Sydney bus changes: 25 routes cut in major shake-up

An MP has hit out at widespread changes to bus services in Sydney’s east and southeast, claiming the state government is ‘punishing residents to use the light rail’.

Twenty-five bus routes will be cut across southeast Sydney under plans announced by NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance.

Sweeping changes were announced on Thursday morning for bus services and routes across southeast Sydney which will come into effect in late 2021.

A local MP has slammed the move as “forcing people to use the light rail” and taking away vital services.

The changes include 25 bus routes being cut, 11 new routes being introduced, and a further 23 routes being modified.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance.

Suburbs impacted include Maroubra, Eastgardens, Pagewood, Little Bay, Malabar, Botany, Coogee, Kingsford, Kensington, Mascot, Rosebery, Waterloo, Zetland, Randwick, Waverley and Bondi Junction.

A full breakdown of the changes can be found below.

Mr Constance said the introduction of the light rail – which runs from Randwick and Kingsford to the CBD – meant bus services needed to be updated.

“The L2 and L3 (light rail) lines have changed the way customers travel to and from the CBD, by providing frequent turn-up-and-go services, so we need to update our bus schedules accordingly,” Mr Constance said.

The bus changes have been announced following the introduction of the light rail.

“When we introduced and implemented the light rail we were always going to make significant changes to the bus routes.”

He claimed the changes would “provide much-needed capacity and frequency improvements” to customers including improved bus services to the beaches and more frequent bus services to key locations such as the University of NSW, Eastgardens and the bustling Green Square precinct.

“To help reduce duplication on the network some bus routes will be withdrawn and replaced by new or altered bus routes or frequent light rail services,” a NSW Government statement read.

Coogee state Labor MP Marjorie O’Neill has campaigned to stop eastern suburbs bus routes from being cut and slammed the “egregious” announcement.

“These cuts are worse than we could have imagined,” she said.

Coogee MP Marjorie O'Neill.

“The original plan only had 16 routes (to be cut) and it now has 25 and includes express buses.

“This is all about forcing people to use the light rail ... they are punishing us, the people of the eastern suburbs, and forcing us to use the light rail.”

She said, for example, the X93 bus was hugely popular and was now earmarked to be taken away.

“The reality is if you are talking about increasing the capacity of public transport the light rail should be there in addition to the buses.”

Last year, plans to cut bus services in southeast Sydney were leaked and the plans were largely slammed by local MPs for not replacing services “like for like”.

More information on the changes including where the new and modified routes will run can be found here.

The plans are currently open for public feedback until June 18.

Bus changes in Sydney’s southeast:

11 new routes: 306, 310, 350, 350N, 356, 358, 373N, 375, 390X, 392N, 469

25 routes cut: 300, 301, 302, 309X, 310X, 314, 316, 317, 338, 353, 357, 372, 373, 376, 377, 391, 393, 394, 395, 400, 400N, L94, X40, X93, X99

23 routes modified: 303, 304, 307, 309, 313, 320, 339, 339X, 343, 348, 355, 362, 370, 373X, 374, 374X, 377X, 392, 397, 399, 418, 420, 420N