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Review of what
The Lower Hunter needs a full review of all public transport not just a "Proposal to Update the (STA) Bus Network."
The review should consider all buses, no matter what colour or who owns them, from Maitland to the coast and Nelsons Bay to Doylston to be fully integrated and coordinated.
The STA route changes are meaningless without timetables and frequency.
Bus travel must be attractive, take us to our chosen destination when we want to travel, in reasonable comfort and at a realistic cost.
Bus services must also be coordinated with train, taxi, ferry plane and private car travel.
Bring on the review!
Relates to
survey: The bus network needs to be updated?
Comment 1 23 Nov 2007, 9:46 AM
We need a fully integrated public transport system in the Lower Hunter, but while Sydney bureaucracies control the buses, ferries and trains that is impossible. As a start the Newcastle Buses network rweview should ensure that buses and train timetables are co-ordinated at Cockle Creek, Cardiff, Hamilton and Waratah.
Comment 2 24 Nov 2007, 2:58 PM
I agree, we need a regional approach to planning transport.
Comment 3 25 Nov 2007, 10:33 PM
Great comments - but a free tip for all. Nothing is going to happen without significant dollars from Ms McKay's State Geovenment coffers.. I believe Newcastle Buses is being made to deal with an ever-widening population base with unrealistic funding by the State Government. Look at the area and complexity of suburbs they are expected to service with very limited resources. And all the while, single occupant polluting cars are flooding our city and suburbs.. where is all the tax from the fual and registrations going? Not into funding public transport in Newcastle / Lake Mac. Maybe we could start a lottery to help funding..
Comment 3.1 28 Nov 2007, 12:45 PM
Yes, without extra resources (at least to the level Newcastle Buses had before the disasterous 2002 Bus Plan cuts)there will not be any service improvements, only extra services on the corridors at the expense of local routes.
Comment 3.1.1 1 Dec 2007, 11:45 PM
More resources are always good. Much however can be done with the existing resources. The buses and other capital cost are given to Newcastle buses. the refurbishment of older vehicles is given to Newcastle. On top of this to move 10.4 million passengers we spend about $45m or about $4.50 for every person that gets on the bus. If this was a fair dinkum review the process would be examining how to reduce costs whilst increasing services. Smaller buses are certainly an option because remember to move 10.4m passengers the buses travel 8.26m kms or 1.2 passengers per km. (Read the financial reports and see the reality for yourself!)
Comment 4 8 Dec 2007, 7:58 PM
WHAT STATE GOVERNMENT REALLY THINKS OF NEWCASTLE BUSES
I have contacted the State Transit office at Strawberry Hills in Sydney in the past, and when I attempted to bring the issues of the massive cuts to Newcastle buses, here is what they said to me (not in a polite voice either): “Newcastle buses?, Look we don’t care about Newcastle & it’s bus routes okay” and then they just banged the phone down. When I enquired about lack of Sunday services “Do you except some residents to walk 1½ kilometres to the bus stop?” In a loud tone of voice, they said “Yes, we DO!”
.
As stated before, if the state government wanted to, it has more than enough money to allocate more to Newcastle Buses to improve the bus network, through the GST that NSW gets.
Comment 4.1 9 Dec 2007, 8:52 AM
There is more than enough money. The problem is the gross waste and the attitude. If the we continue to use 60 people buses when the average passenger load is 1.5 then this is gross mismanagement. Newcastle needs a bus system not a fleet of stretch limos that do everything possible to avoid people getting on them. Newcastle buses spend $42m a year moving very few people. Lets remove these massive pollutants from the roads and replace them with a mini bus fleet with high frequence and destinations that match where we want to go.
Comment 5 18 Dec 2007, 8:39 AM
I've started an integrated transprt for Newcastle discussion in the open forum section of this website (press projects at the top of the page and select open forum) please come and discuss.
Comment 5.1 30 Dec 2007, 1:26 PM
we certainly need an integrated transport system however I think we should concentrate on getting the most out of this route adjustment.
If we keep asking questions as to why so few catch buses, how disabled are not realistically catered for, why the buses (as currently operated) are extremely bad for the environment, why the fares keep rising etc then may be we can have a full on bus review and hopefully that would fit into the integrated model. Dont forget we have a Lower Hunter Transport Strategy that still has wet ink.