Image: Image: Transport For NSW
By Will Thorpe
Sydney’s “neglected” bus network, the oft-forgotten cousin of the city’s railways, must be overhauled, according to a government-appointed task force.
The Bus Industry Taskforce released its final report on Monday, identifying a suite of issues with buses and advocating four areas of focus – passenger experience, operator contracts, safety, and relations with the workforce. One of the report’s key findings was that buses “have been neglected, and are underfunded and largely misunderstood, undermining both economic and social value for the community.”
The task force “confirmed the economic and social value of buses and the contribution the bus mode makes to the life of the community of NSW,” wrote its chair John Lee to transport minister Jo Haylen. “However, we have also seen how current practices and levels of commitment are failing to deliver this value,” he remarked.
Underinvestment Ails Sydney Buses
The report emphasised the relative affordability of bus routes, as well as the underinvestment the network has faced. Lee stated that the development of a bus rapid transit network across Sydney would cost a quarter of a new metro rail line, a pointed comparison.
The city’s rail modes have seen significant investment over the past decade, with new metro, suburban, and light rail lines opening, prompting then-transport minister Andrew Constance to label Sydney a “train city” in 2020.
Calls for such a wide-ranging overhaul of Sydney buses are not new. The Committee for Sydney released a report in July calling for much of the same, chiefly the creation of a rapid bus network across the city.
“Sydney buses are almost always the Plan B. When given the option, most people choose the car or train. But our existing buses have huge potential to transform how we get around our city – making it more accessible, equitable, and sustainable,” the committee argued.
Today, a web of bus routes converge on Parramatta Road and Victoria Road as they trundle towards the city centre. Transport minister Jo Haylen agreed that more B-Line style rapid bus corridors would be beneficial for Sydney – “We need to look at frequent and rapid services,” she remarked.
Such investments would be likely to have a significant effect on inner-suburban and inner-city bus users. The eight-kilometre trip from Spit Junction to Wynyard station takes thirteen minutes on the B-Line with one immediate stop, the same time as it takes to drive.
A comparable trip from Arlington Street in Five Dock to Railway Square takes about 22 minutes on the 461X express, nearly ten minutes more than driving, with sixteen intermediate stops. Additionally, B–Line stops are easily identifiable and the service makes use of high-capacity double-decker buses.
Union Supports Reforms
Buses are the second most used form of public transport in and around Sydney, with 19.6 million trips made in July compared to 24.9 million on suburban and intercity trains. 228.8 million bus trips were made in 2023, compared to 293 million suburban or intercity train journeys. Bus figures include the Outer Sydney Metropolitan Service Areas, extending to Newcastle, the Hunter, Port Stephens, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.
The opposition expressed support for investment, with shadow transport minister Natalie Ward remarking that “delivery needs to match the government’s rhetoric.” While investing extensively in the city’s rail network, the Liberal–National government oversaw the privatisation of bus services, also pursuing a public-private partnership model with metro, light rail, and ferry services.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union has also expressed support for reform, advocating changes to the public-private model saying it has created workplace issues. The government has given in-principle support to the report’s recommendations.
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