Submission to Bus Services Review – 17 September, 2009

State Transit Authority,
Region 6,
Reply Paid 2132,
STRAWBERRY HILLS 2010

To Whom It May Concern:

Noting that Pyrmont now has a resident population of more than 13,000 and a worker population of around 16,000, Pyrmont Action has been seeking improvements in public transport to and from Pyrmont for a number of years. What we have seen has been the gradual erosion of services including:

• Drastic reduction in services that link Pyrmont to the Inner Western suburbs with the completion of the Anzac Bridge
• Change of route of the 443 from Market to King Street, resulting in no public transport services linking to Town Hall for a large number of Pyrmont residents
• Removal of the 449 bus to Broadway without consultation with potential users
• Fewer services of the 501
• Increase in unreliability of 443 and 501 services.

In addition, the STA introduced a “service” – the 448, known as the “Fairfax Special” which provides a peak hour express service one-way to Pyrmont in the mornings and from Pyrmont in the afternoons. Drivers are expressly prohibited from picking up passengers on the return trip. Even when allowed passengers, it is noted that at most it may be 1/3 full.

We note that Balmain and Glebe residents enjoy “cross country” bus services eg the 445 takes passengers from Balmain to Leichhardt and Glebe residents can get to Coogee. If Pyrmont residents want to go to Balmain they either have to take the 443 bus to QVB and transfer to a Balmain bus or take the unreliable 501 to Rozelle and then transfer.

Some examples of poor service have been observed:

• The 501 often arrives early at the first stop in Pyrmont in Miller Street, necessitating passengers with appointments having to take a taxi, especially when the next bus is late
• At the stop on the corner of Pirrama Road and Harris Street, one often observes two or three 443 buses proceeding to the Maritime Museum, yet passengers can wait up to half an hour for a bus to return to take them to the CBD.
• Passengers waiting for a 443 at the QVB stop often observe up to eight 442 buses pulling up, but experience a delay of up to ¾ of an hour for a 443 in peak hours. After such a delay, one then sees two 443 buses riding tandem.

We would like to make the following recommendations:

• Reinstate services from Pyrmont and Ultimo to Broadway Shopping Centre by either:
o Following local consultation regarding the most appropriate service times, reinstate the 449 service to Broadway to meet the needs of residents and workers; or
o Introducing a small bus shuttle service up and down Harris Street, possibly via Broadway Shopping Centre and/or QVB.
• Increase the number of 443 and 501 services to cater for the needs of residents and workers and to improve reliability
• Re-route the 443 back to Market Street, or to Druitt Street which now has a number of services using it safely (with the erection of the safety barriers) to provide a service to the centre of the City, and in particular to Town Hall station which is the only station with disabled access
• Permit the 448 to carry pre-paid passengers both ways
• Introduce new, or re-route existing services which can provide Pyrmont residents with improved public transport access to Balmain, and Inner South and Eastern suburbs eg by diverting either the 441 or 442 bus to Pyrmont and/or one of the 500 bus services.

We look forward to improved services in Pyrmont in the near future.

Yours sincerely,


Elizabeth Elenius,
Convenor