If you’ve ever found yourself at a Sydney bus stop staring into the middle distance for what feels like days, you’re not alone. And if you’re based in Western Sydney, chances are even higher – with a report released by the Bus Industry Taskforce confirming that the worst of Sydney’s bus routes are predominantly located in the western suburbs. In response, Transport for NSW has outlined a plan to improve Sydney’s bus transport system with the introduction of more zero emissions buses, and a focus on improving the most poorly served areas of the network.
The 204 page report released by the Bus Industry Taskforce found that rural and regional bus services (including those in Sydney’s outer-western suburbs) have not experienced the same level of improvements as those in the inner city. As a result, the bus routes in these areas are underserving the communities – with buses operating on irregular schedules that don’t meet the needs of the growing population.
"Too many growing communities were neglected because the former government had no plan for what their future bus services would look like. We now have a plan to make sure those communities get the bus services they need," explained Transport Minister Jo Haylen.
Former chief executive of the State Transit Authority John Lee was tasked with chairing the taskforce in May 2023, and several months of research concluded that Sydney’s bus network is currently unequipped to meet the needs of the growing population. Lee identified 235 local routes across Sydney that failed to meet “minimum service standards”, with these routes “predominantly located in Western Sydney”.
In response, Minister Haylen has stated that Sydney should expect to see “the biggest improvement to bus services that NSW has seen in a generation.” The plans outlined by Transport for NSW include “immediately addressing more than a decade of neglect of investment in school and local bus services”, “additional frequent and local services to areas with no or very poor service levels” and “providing a long-term vision for rapid bus services to be rolled out on key Sydney corridors”. The plan will also focus on continuing to call out the challenges that drivers and operational staff face, managing risks and assets, employing more drivers across the network and rolling out more zero emissions vehicles.
The Taskforce will provide the NSW Government with its final report and recommendations by May 1 2024, so we expect to see more updates soon. In the meantime, Transport for NSW is reportedly developing short-term improvements to local services to catch up to population growth.
You can read the full report here.
For more insights into the government's plans to improve our city, read our interview with NSW Premier Chris Minns.