‘It doesn’t make sense’: Pyrmont residents angered by 389 bus route changes

By TOKS OGUNDARE

Pyrmont residents have become frustrated after the introduction of the South East Sydney bus network removed a key stop along the 389 route from Pyrmont to Bondi Junction.

The new network saw 22 route changes and 24 routes discontinued after its introduction on the 5th of December.  

Under the changes, the 389 route, which previously stopped at King Street in the CBD, now runs via Druitt and Park Streets, stopping at Town Hall Station towards Bondi Junction.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said that the changes were made to provide “consistent bus stop locations within the Sydney CBD” and help facilitate “a cycleway along King Street in the future”, but has angered residents who are now enduring a longer commute. 

“I need to leave home around 45 [minutes] before I need to get to work,” Pyrmont resident Tatiana Coulter said. “My colleagues in Penrith have a one hour commute!” 

Coulter said that the changes have created an inconvenience for those working in and around Martin Place, Barangaroo and Circular Quay. 

“It doesn’t make sense not to have a stop in the heart of the CBD,” she told City Hub. “I have been asking for a stop on York [Street]. There is a transit lane so traffic will not be affected, and it means that people working or wanting to get to the main parts of town can easily do so.”

In response to locals submitting feedback about the route, Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich asked the former Minister for Transport and Roads, Rob Stokes, to review the CBD stops and consider reinstating a stop in York Street.

“I’ve asked for a meeting with the new transport minister to follow up on this and other concerns,” he said.