Sutherland bus services: U-Go Mobility responds to show cause by Transport Minister Jo Haylen

After a week of bus madness across the Sutherland Shire, in which schoolchildren were left on the side of the road, the bus operator responsible has responded to show cause notice issued by the Transport Minister. Read the operator’s latest response.

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has responded to the show cause response from U-Go Mobility.

After a week of bus madness across the Sutherland Shire, in which 430 services were cancelled causing havoc for schoolchildren and their families, the bus operator responsible has responded to the Transport Minister’s show cause notice.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen confirmed her department was now “considering all options” after bus operator U-Go Mobility responded to the show cause, which attempted to justify why it should retain its contract

It comes after parents detailed horror stories of their children being left stranded at bus stops, students having to direct drivers and students drop far from their stops.

Ms Haylen has instructed Transport for NSW to impose penalties and fines on the private operator until it meets its contractual obligations.

“Passengers have been left on the side of the road as a result of the former government‘s prioritisation of price rather than the delivery of an essential service. That’s not acceptable,” she said.

Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

“That‘s why I instructed the acting secretary of Transport to issue a show cause letter to the private operator. We have now received their response and we are considering all of our options.

“I have asked Transport for NSW staff to work directly with the operator to fix these problems urgently, because leaving school kids on the side of the road absolutely unacceptable and it has to stop.”

Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Menai parent Lisa Hunter said her son’s bus route has changed last week meaning he was dropped far from home, on the other side of the road with no safe way to cross - even after confirming with the driver he would travel down the right street.

Ms Hunter said her son’s bus route, as it used to be, no longer existed and another service had been altered to partially return to the original route but still didn’t cover her street.

“For the past eight mornings we have waited for the bus and it hasn’t turned up,” she said.

“I have an email from U-Go stating the route including our street has been fixed immediately. This was on Tuesday and it has not been fixed.”

Ms Hunter said she was exhausted by sending emails, calling U-Go and checking routes only to receive unhelpful or wrong information from the bus operator.

Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

U-Go Mobility spokesperson said the company was suffering from a chronic and unprecedented bus driver shortage which had impacted its ability to provide timetabled services and were committed to returning the full services.

“Transport for NSW have worked with us to adjust services to give passengers more predictability, taking care to avoid suspending consecutive trips or last trips, and prioritising school services,” the spokesperson said.

“We are working with schools and are focused on services for students during the upcoming HSC trial exams.

“U-Go Mobility has submitted an Operational Stabilisation Plan to TfNSW and we are working with TfNSW to implement this.

“This includes dedicated Transport staff working with us on day-to-day operations including scheduling, rostering and timetabling.

“We have staff on the ground at key interchanges to support passengers and dedicated staff responding to customer enquiries and liaising with key stakeholders including schools and local councils.”

The acting secretary of Transport Howard Collins wrote to the company and said U-Go had cancelled about 95 trips each weekday since July 1, and since the new school term commenced on 17 July 2023, U-GO has cancelled about 430 trips each weekday.

“TfNSW is extremely concerned about U-Go’s performance of the services to date and its ongoing ability to provide the services under the contract in accordance with the required service levels,” he said.

“TfNSW is taking this matter very seriously and considering all of its options under the contract, including but not limited to its rights to terminate the contract (for service default, harm to TfNSW’s reputation, other termination events or for convenience) as well as exercising its Step-in Rights and bringing an action for damages for breach of contract.”

TfNSW asked U-Go to provide information demonstrating what steps and remedial measures it has taken and plans to take and by when it will remedy the service defaults to satisfy TfNSW that it has the ability to provide the services under the contract in accordance with the required service levels.