This blogspot is created to try and get a great atmosphere of what Mount Druitt is all about. Also to provide photographic details of improvements in the area.
We encourage all community members to add comments. Stories from community members, thoughts and comments. Send any information you would like, to advertise that you love of Mount Druitt, that is for the common good of all who live or visit the area. Become an author and publish blogs..
Contact e-mail: nsjpas@gmail.com
It is fantastic, when we get positive comments from within our community, on anything but when we have a great comment to share on 'Good Stories and People " within our community, we must share those comments.
From Google Plus here is the great comment on Ru Ben:
Commuters forced to swelter on hot buses in Sydney’s west
Marissa Georgopoulos, Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard
COMMUTERS are being forced to travel on swelteringly hot buses that do not have airconditioning.
While experiencing the hottest summer on record, many bus users across Mt Druitt got no respite while travelling the region.
A report compiled by Mt Druitt Commuters Improvement Group found of the 166 non-airconditioned Busways buses in NSW most were “allocated to the three Sydney depots (Blacktown, Mulgrave, Penrith),” the report read.
Resident John Svoboda said he understood “more than 30” were based at the Blacktown depot.
Mr Svoboda, former president of the commuters group, said all buses needed airconditioning, considering full fares had to be paid. He has started a Change.org petition to call for the non-airconditioned buses to be replaced as soon as possible. He said he started it after speaking with a driver who was fed-up with working in a hot bus all day. “He told me there were a lot of bus drivers not wanting to return the buses back to the depot because it was so hot,” Mr Svoboda said. Transport Workers Union NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen said unairconditioned buses “bordered on being unsafe for the elderly and the very young’’ in extreme heat. There have been at least two serious incidents this year including a pregnant woman passing out and a driver who fainted on return to the depot. “It is our view that all buses should be air conditioned in this day and age,” Mr Olsen said. “I would estimate the (temperature) inside of a bus fully loaded with 60 passengers on a 40C-day would be quite high.” Mt Druitt state Labor MP Edmond Atalla has backed Mr Svoboda’s call because of recent heatwaves. “Many of the users of public transport are elderly people and the lack of airconditioned buses is a major health issue for them,” he said. A Busways spokesman said 80 per cent of its western Sydney services were airconditioned but there were plans to upgrade them.
“Through our fleet replacement program older buses are being replaced with brand new airconditioned buses and by 2022 all services ... will be air-conditioned,” he said. Mr Atalla said the time frame was “too long”. Mr Svoboda said: “We are in an age where we shouldn’t have non-airconditioned buses.” Click here for previous post
Time and time again, it is good to revamp stories, community improvements in our local papers and I must congratulate the Mount Druitt Standard, for producing a great story that brings happiness to thousands on thousands. In fact, even though I have recently taken interest in this community improvement , thanks will have to go to current Councilors Stephen Bali, Mayor and Tony Bleasedale, Deputy Mayor and former Councillor Charlie Lowles and also current State Member of Mount Druitt, Edmond Atalla. They will have all gained their community appreciation, once the Francis Road Davis Overpass is widened allowing for double the amount of traffic to flow through and make it easier for all to crossover from north to south.
Bus commuters will be happy to travel free on Thursday and Friday, to compensate for a bus strike on Monday, this coming week, in Western Sydney. Whether the community will appreciate this on Monday morning is yet to be seen. Bus drivers will have their reason for striking, of which I may know of a few of the. In the last couple of years, there is less shift breaks and the biggest thing is the bus drivers KPI* is trip times being cut down to to more efficient times.
Now with the recent introduction of the Opal, traveling will be cut as bus commuters just quickly swipe their card and sit down immediately. There is no fiddling of money or loose change (wasting 5 minutes or more), when the bus could be down the road picking and dropping off more commuters.
Here is the story from Mount Druitt Strandard/ Blacktown Advocate to Daily Telegraph:
BUS
commuters will be traveling for free on Thursday and Friday in western
Sydney and the Central Coast ahead of a strike on Monday, following
failed negotiations between the Transport Workers’ Union and Busways.
It
is the second strike since Friday when union members stopped work,
inconveniencing 50 per cent of services across the regions between 10am
and 2pm. It came two days after members refused to sell tickets and turned off Opal ticket machines, offering commuters free travel. But, unlike the stop-work action last week, the strike on Monday will affect the peak morning rush hour. Busways and the union had a meeting this morning, which TWU NSW official Nimrod Nyols said was unfruitful. “They are not interested in changing their position,” he said. “I provided them with a 72-hour notice of work stoppage on Monday, August 29 from 5am to 9am.”
Bus services will be disrupted on Monday, August 29.Mr Nirmod said the union planned to communicate with schools about the disruption.
“We have had no interest from Busways to stop the strike,” he said. “The last thing our workers want to do is disrupt services. But we feel we are out of options.” Busways said “the industrial action affects the traveling public and does little to resolve the alleged issue”. But in a statement a Busways spokesman said: “The
actions taken by members of the TWU will have a limited impact on
services as only 35 per cent of permanent employees are union members.” * Key performance indicator
Proximity of living at nearest train station or bus stop, is a contentious issue for stake holders, whilst we are spreading our growing suburbs to outer suburbs of Mount Druitt and possible newer suburbs proposed.
So is living further away better then changing the community to a median density populated community or even a high density community, in the not to distant future?
As
western Sydney grows more people live a long way from public transport.
A new report shows current infrastructure projects aren't keeping up
with demands. Should new housing be built closer to rail lines?
My response: As
an advocate for the community and especially great interest in local
public transport, I must say that we in Mount Druitt are going from day
to day and we are current moving from low density housing to medium
density housing around the hub of Mount Druitt, whilst price of housing
is on the rise. In 20 to 30 years time - we will be heading for high
density housing, if we like it or not. Whilst this is happening bus
running on time tables are not even planned leaving and arriving from
Mount Druitt Bus interchange not even even 15 minutes peak time. Weekend
time tables are weak, half-hour to one hour waiting for bus services
and in some places no weekend bus service, only weekday bus services.
Rapid bus services is what we require, at least 15 minutes in between
services for all service to and from Mount Druitt. Once this happens,
which means the community has confidence in more reliable and frequent,
cost effective public transport, more of the community will move into
public transport, leaving private cars at home. This in turn is less
clogging at Mount Druitt hub for car park. At Mount Druitt Train
Station, we require an upgrade of the train station concourse, to widen
and lengthen the train station, enable more commuters to get through the
electronic ticketing machines at peak times. The NSW Long Term
Transport Master Plan of 2030, needs to be reviewed as we are having a
high increase in population. Once the ABS figures will be released after
9/8/2016, this will show the dramatic change we have had in population
and the slow progress to get more people into public transport. Stake
holders must act straight away even talk about linking the Northwest
Rail Link to the Southwest link - providing more access new airport at
Badgerys Creek. Check out community website:
whyilovemountdruitt.blogspot.com.au
Further comments: Debbie PiscopoNo
to much high density housing around public transport links allready.
More railway lines to these areas need to be built we have one of the
worest railway systems in the world we need to get with the times.
Jeff ThompsonNo.
Mt Druitt will return to being a ghetto again. No more units and town
houses in the western suburbs. Forward planning and the development of
transport infrastructure needs to be addressed.
Gregory StantonHow
about free shuttle buses to the stations. This will get more people
using public transport, break up congestion on the roads and solve the
problem this post is talking about.
After
more than five years in the works, SkyPeak Aerial Adventure Park St
Marys will finally open its doors this week. The Standard got a sneek
peak yesterday of what you can expect: http://bit.ly/1VAq6HM
Last year when we had a NSW State Election on 27th March 2016, there were political promises and political promises brought from all sides within Mount Druitt and Londonderry State Electorates. The only thing is, the one that has to honor the promises has to do as quick as possible with their 4 year term of leading Government. If not, there could be a lot of voters swinging sides making opposition governments elected leaders of Governments, when the next election is held. That means the political tides change. So here we have missing MRI Machine that hasn't appeared at Mount Druitt hospital as promised so far. Let's hope that we find out what the issue is or is part of reduced funding? Here is the story from the Mount Druitt - St Marys Standard
If you want an MRI Machine in Mount Druitt hospital, vote on the Blog Poll on the bottom of this website.
It was due to a blog that was published last year that the Mount Druitt Standard wanted to raise this issue of accessible buses in our area, we didn't realise that that from other NSW Bus Regions, we are behind the times.
Lack of wheelchair accessible buses leaves Mt Druitt residents suffering
Jillian McKee Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard
40% of buses in the Mt Druitt area are not wheelchair accessible, leaving commuters stranded.Disabled
commuters and parents with prams in Mt Druitt are being left suffering
with 40% of buses in the area without wheelchair accessibility.
This was 20% less than other areas in Sydney, which had more than 80% of their bus fleets wheelchair accessible.
Bus
regions 6, 7, and 8 which cover areas of the Inner West such as
Leichhardt and Drummoyne and areas surrounding North Sydney including
Chatswood, Manly and Mosman had more than 86% of their fleet wheelchair
accessible.
Mt Druitt Commuters Improvement Group spokesman John
Svoboda said lack of accessible transport was becoming an increasing
problem.
“I’m hearing and seeing time and time again, that in peak
time there are issues with pram and wheelchair commuters having not
accessible buses arrive at bus stands.”
“We have great bus
services here but we are a growing population with lots of families and
elderly need to make sure we have the right services.”
“I think we need more accessible buses especially in peak times,
especially when you compare this to other areas we are way behind the
times.” Mr Svoboda said.
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said
they were working to improve the Mt Druitt fleet. “In the past 12
months eight brand new, low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses have been
added to this fleet.”
“Transport for NSW also funds an ongoing
bus replacement program across all contracted operators to replace
non-wheelchair accessible buses with new low-floor accessible vehicles
when older buses reach their maximum age.”
“Additionally, all new
buses purchased by contracted operators are required to comply with the
Disability Discrimination Act and include air conditioning and
wheelchair access.” The spokesperson said.
Accessible services
throughout the state will increase to 90% by 2017 and 100% by 2022, in
the meantime Transport NSW encouraged residents to ring the bus depot
prior to travel to ensure a wheelchair accessible bus was operating.
