Transport for NSW continues to slash any improvements in Pyrmont

By ABHA HAVAL

The decline in public transport in Pyrmont has caused an uproar among residents. The reliability of public transport in Pyrmont has declined over several years, with no indication for improvements till the completion of the metro station in 2030.

The residents of Pyrmont continue to be in dismay with the commute to and from the CBD since the removal of key bus stops from an essential route in the city.

The Pyrmont Peninsula Public Transport Forum (PPPTF), an advocacy group of Pyrmont businesses and residents started a petition a few months ago seeking improvements in the public transportation in Pyrmont and Ultimo.

The PPPTF has the support of Sydney’s Lord Mayor, and several councillors, and intends to have MP Alex Greenwich formally table the petition to the parliament.

The PPPTF has been working closely with Pyrmont action groups who are actively working to improve public transportation by seeking to reinstall the F10 ferry stop to Pirrama Park Wharf and re-establishing the 389 bus stops that run through Pyrmont and Ultimo.

Petition Signed By 1500 People

The PPPTF convener, Lesley Bentley said, “The petition was signed by 1500 people and the request was sent to the Minister of Transport but, the response we got was that there will be no future improvements in Pyrmont until 2030.”

“The NSW government was going to send a liaison person to discuss the issues in Pyrmont and after one meeting with the liaison, we haven’t heard back from either of them.”

When asked about alternatives for the removed bus routes and other transportation, Lesley said, “There are several alternatives but the government is not interested in hearing our problems.”

The PPPTF has no desire for bus privatisation.

“I think that bus privatisation is the root cause for the decline in public transport across Sydney. The transport services would be much better if the privatisation ended,” she said.

Lesley mentions that many of the residents have complained about the road policy in Sydney that prioritises pedestrians over buses. There are many residents who are unable to walk or have other health issues and rely on the buses for their commute.

“There is a policy in Sydney that prioritises pedestrians over cyclists, then comes the buses and cars in that order. Transport for NSW has indicated what they prioritise with this policy.”

Clash With State Government

The PPPFT has been clashing with the NSW government, but they are unable to get any correspondence or communication.

Lesley said, “There is no progress made and no further correspondence from the Transport Minister after promises from them for a proper consultation.”

According to the statistics given to PPPTF by data analysts and census, “The statistics demonstrate that the bus service in Pyrmont is the worst in Sydney compared to per head population and transport routes.”

“We have lost 2 bus stops including the Park Street stop which is the most essential of them, and a ferry stop with no notion of improvements,” she said.

“We have enough signatures to initiate another petition and present it to a new government”.

With over a thousand of supporters for the petition, the PPPTF continues to advocate for the residents by calling on residents from Sydney to sign the new version of the petition on the NSW Legislative Assembly website to demonstrate support for their initiatives.