Fleet of new buses to be ordered for Sydney’s north after commuter hell

The NSW government will buy 50 new diesel-powered bendy buses and 10 B-line double-deck buses in a bid to end long queues for commuters left waiting for services on routes along Sydney’s northern beaches and north shore.

The first six of 83 bendy buses, which were removed from service last October due to chassis cracks, are also expected to start returning to service next month following repairs. The government said it expected a staged return of the other bendy buses over the remainder of the year.

Commuters wait in a snaking line for B-line buses to the northern beaches at Wynyard station.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Following uproar from north shore and northern beaches residents, Transport for NSW began a tender process for 50 new bendy buses and 10 double-decker buses to boost the fleet used on the B-line route between Mona Vale and Wynyard.

The government expects the first of the buses to enter service towards the end of the year, helping to boost capacity across the northern beaches, north shore and the wider network. The outcome of the tender process will determine the cost of the purchases.

Three-quarters of the 83 bendy buses that have been out of service due to chassis cracks are dedicated to the northern beaches and lower north shore. A shortage of bus drivers has compounded the reduction in bus service capacity on routes.

Transport Minister John Graham said the rollout of the new and repaired buses would be prioritised to the areas of greatest need and would help ease the fleet shortage on the northern beaches.

“We know it’s been a difficult couple of months for bus passengers on the northern beaches who’ve been dealing with the shortage of articulated buses,” he said.

The government will purchase 10 double-decker buses for the B-line fleet in addition to 50 new bendy buses.Credit: Nick Moir

“As these additional high-capacity buses and repaired articulated buses enter service over the next 12 months, this will mean fewer disruptions, improved reliability and bus services that better meet the needs of the people who rely on them.”

Independent MP for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby said the new buses were the breakthrough that was needed, but more work was necessary in the interim to ease the commuter pain.

“[The new fleet] will address the underlying problem, but in the meantime, my constituents are facing reliability challenges. Commuters are furious and exasperated with timetable cuts and cancellations, causing commute times to have doubled to two hours,” she said.

Scruby acknowledged that there had been recent improvements to key bus routes on the northern beaches, including the 190X peak-hour express service.

Wakehurst MP Michael Regan, a former Northern Beaches Council mayor, said the investment in new buses was a “huge win” and a direct result of the community demanding better services.

“I spoke with the minister directly and called on him to urgently invest in our bus network. I’m pleased to see that the government has listened and is now committing to a strong solution,” he said.

The 83 Volvo bendy buses that were pulled from service last year were built between 2005 and 2006. The longer bendy buses have often been replaced by standard buses, which seat fewer people.

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