The Minister for Transport has announced that bus services in Sydney are to be contracted out as a way of improving public transport standards across the city.
The Government will invite the world’s leading public transport operators to bid for contracts for 13 of Sydney’s bus contract regions over the next three years.
“The NSW Government will engage with the private sector to transform the current, one-size-fits-all model of service delivery, to one with multiple service types including high-capacity routes and local and on-demand travel,” said Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance.
“Contracts for the three remaining State Transit Regions 7, 8, and 9 – covering Ryde, Gladesville, the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore, the CBD, and the Eastern Suburbs will be included and be put out to tender by early 2020.”
“Bus patronage has increased by more than 50 per cent over the past six years.
“This rate of growth outstrips that of all other forms of public transport and we need to address this increasing demand as a matter of urgency,” he said.
Mr Constance said the Government would continue to own State Transit buses and all other assets such as depots, regulate timetables, safety, and service priorities; and set fares.
He also said there would be jobs for the majority of State Transit award staff with the new operator(s), including all bus drivers and maintenance staff, whose jobs will be guaranteed for two years as part of the deal.
“These staff will also transfer with all their accrued entitlements such as annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, superannuation and their three-year travel pass,” he said.
Mr Constance said he expected more jobs for bus drivers to be created due to the extra services that are expected be provided.
