Vehicles illegally parked in bus zones are to be towed away following new rules to give bus drivers a clearer run on their routes.
Deputy Secretary of Safety, Environment and Regulation at Transport for NSW, Tara McCarthy said vehicles parked in bus zones presented a problem for bus drivers who tried to provide a safe and timely service.
“The changes will improve passenger safety when boarding and disembarking buses,” Ms McCarthy said.
“This is especially important for passengers with mobility issues, children, the elderly and parents with strollers,” she said.
“It will also help bus services run on time and as smoothly as possible.”
Ms McCarthy said regulatory amendments to the Road Transport (General) Regulation 2021 meant bus zones were now a ‘prescribed place’ for the purposes of tow-away provisions under the Act.
She said that in the 12 months to July 2021, there were 564 reports of vehicles parked in bus stops in NSW.
“The new regulatory changes will also reduce operational costs when dealing with vehicles illegally left in bus zones,” she said.
“Previously it’s taken up to six weeks to get a vehicle removed from a bus zone, even when it’s unregistered.”
Ms McCarthy said a grace period of two months would be in place before the regulatory change was enforced.
