Busways Blacktwown/Plumpton & Penrith Depots Worse Amount of Non-Airdconditioned Buses, within NSW Bus Rehion 1 After 25 Years - Lester- 'Mount Druitt Commuters Group'

It seems that after Lester, Secretary of the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc. has done the number crunching figures - that Busways Blacktown (Plumpton), has the worse number of  non-airconditioned buses in their depot, within  NSW Bus region 1.

This is why Busways bus drivers are travelling in heat days complaining about not been properly looked after for comfort and want to return 'unair-conditioned buses' for air-conditioned buses.  Here is the report from Lester:

Make up of the Busways fleet in Sydney with the number of air conditioned and non-air conditioned buses allocated to the three main depots in Sydney.

Blacktown Depot.
155 buses. 46 non A/C. 109 A/C.
...

Mulgrave Depot.
50 buses. 14 non A/C. 36 A/C.
Penrith Depot.
91 buses. 38 non A/C. 53 A/C.
Pymble Head Office.
2 buses. Both A/C.
The non air-conditioned buses in the fleet entered service between 1992 and 2000.

We notice that Busways  Head Office is catered first: North of Sydney First, then Western Sydney.

I know Rome wasn't built in a day but air-conditioned buses seem to be  more than a quarter of a century to have them serviced in our area.  This takes into account if they blame NSW Transport or NDSW transport blames them.  This presents a good reason for a community petition to commence.

Click here for previous post

"Hot Topic" As Commuters and Bus Drivers Are Left "HOT" On Unairconditioned Buses in Mount Druitt - Mount Druitt Standard

It is amazing how one bus driver talking to a community advocate can create, provide and reflect the correct atmosphere that both bus drivers and commuters are facing in Mount Druitt, with unairconditioned buses.

It was stated  to me by a local community member and a 'whyilovemountdruitt' Face Book Member  that a Busways Spokesperson in Penrith thinks it is a joke that the community is complaining about unairconditioned buses running in and around  Mount Druitt, within NSW Bus
Region 1.

Also stated, 'That Mount Druitt will not be able to get 100% airconditioned buses  from now because Mount Druitt never gets heard or listen too.' 

Our Face Book member  mentioned that one reason Busways hasn't been providing airconditioned buses is - no one wants to buy old buses and we, in Mount Druitt have to wait until 2022. Making negative comments of Mount Druitt by the NSW Busways spokesperson is not a positive reaction from a business company that is tendering for NSW Bus Region 1 this t  Statement could backfire to that person and Busways, one day.

We have 6 Councillors from Ward 4 & 5 Blacktown City Council that represent the community and provide the essential services and infrastructure from our Local Government  that we need in our community, so we are heard and listened too...

We have 2 NSW State Members that actively stand up for the community as a better advocate then myself and help receive services and infrastructure provided by the NSW State Government, we are heard and listened too... 

We have 1 Federal Member that stands up for the community in ensuring we receive proper services and infrastructure for our community, we are heard and listened too...

My understanding is that there may be only 4 buses in Sydney buses unairconditioned - so where is the fairness between regions - all NSW Bus regions , should have the same infrastructure and transport vehicles to provide bus driver and commuter comfort.

I am appalled that the Busways spokesperson has made this disrespectful comments of Mount Druitt and has provided the correct respect for our community that is needed. This is one of the strong reasons I am standing up for the community as a positive voice that wants to get positive results and improvements. Thank God this spokesperson is not a bureaucrat for the NSW Government.

Busways tender for the NSW Bus region Contract 1 and want to hang onto it. but by making comments against commuters and people of Mount Druitt, this should go against the future tending process.

Click here for a petition to sign at Change.org.au for 100% airconditioned buses for Mount Druitt


Just to let the community know, I am in the process working on a  hard copy petition, to support the change.org.au petition and also include requiring airconditioned trains. Keep an eye on future posts. This issue will not leave Busways or NSW Transport until Mount Druitt  has is required 100% airconditioned buses. People come first and people's comfort come first.  The more we are speaking to people, the more people want proper action on this community issue.

I've lead our community to successful petitions before and I will do it again, with the help of the community.



So now, on behalf of our community, I would like to "Thank" Marissa Georgopolous, from the Mount Druitt Standard, for her complimenting article towards our community in obtaining proper airconditioned buses in our Mount Druitt and surrounding suburbs:

22 Feb 2017

Mt Druitt - St Mary's Standard (East)

Marissa Georgopoulos

Commuters boil in buses

Petition demanding airconditioning for passengers across region gathers steam

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.
   
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 her for previous post

New Route Display Lights For NSW Bus Region 1 - Mount Druitt Bus Interchange

I have noticed lately that we have to types of display Route signs on  buses, within NSW Bus Region 1.

From a visual sight, I would highly say the new buses with the white 'highlight'  Route display signs would better for the local  us commuters as it is very bright and startling.

Here are the buses that were seen in Mount Druitt the other day, last year:
What do you think? Is it good for your eyes? Do you see bus rout displays better?

Have you seen these buses running around the area?

 

More New Bus Time Tables - NSW Bus Region 1

There are a few more bus services, new time table being released as from today, within Bus Region 1:

 Buses: 674, 722, 724, 729, 738, 759, 774, 775, 776, 780, T70, T71, T74 & T75


Check out the time tables from Busways and see if you are happy with Busways.

You can then come back to us and provide us your feedback.

New Bus Time Tables Bus Region 1 - Busways

New  bus table for NSW Bus Region 1, for the following services, starting from today ;

Busways:  750, 751, 754, 755, 756, 757, 758, 761, 770, 71

They say 751 will provide a better improved service  from  Blacktown Station  to Sydney Business Park

Further information can be obtained from  Busways Website

Busways - NSW Bus Region 1 Time Table Changes

Here is the new new bus time tables provided to us to cater for  the growth regions in our NSW Bus Region 1.

A slight improvement in Sunday services but further steps are required from all public transport stake holders to increase earlier and later bus services, which can ease the congestion of parking  in the major  Mount Druitt Westfield Shopping Centre and commuter car park.

Click here on previous post

Bus route extensions for new growth areas in Western Sydney

Customers across Western Sydney will benefit from an improved bus network, as the NSW Government’s Growth Services Program delivers three new buses to Busways Blacktown depot.

New route 749 and extensions to four existing routes will provide better connections and more services where they are needed. Timetables will also feature minor amendments to improve reliability.

The following changes will take place from Sunday 20 November 2016:

• New route 749 – has been introduced to provide a direct connection between Blacktown Station and the Marsden Park Business Park.
• Route 751 – will extend further west on Richmond Rd (from Symonds Rd) connecting customers to the Marsden Park Business Park.
• Route 757 – will extend further north on Richmond Rd (from Garfield Rd West) and turn left on Elara Blvd into Elara Estate.
• Route 778 – will extend further west on Caddens Rd (from Gipps St) and provide connections between Caddens and St Marys Station.
• Routes 750, 754, 758, 761, 770 and 771 – Timetables will feature minor amendments to improve on-time running throughout the trip and provide better train connections.

The following changes will take place from Monday 21 November 2016:

• Route 781 – will provide coverage of the new residential area in Caddens and operate on two trips Monday to Friday.
• Minor timetable amendments to accommodate new growth services.

Customers should check the new timetables and route extension maps on our website at www.busways.com.au to plan their journey.

Dedicated school trips will not be affected, however students utilising route services for travel to or from school are reminded to check the new timetables online.

On Monday - Busways Had 68 Bus Drivers On Sick Leave Affecting Commuters in NSW Bus Region 1 .... Find Out Why?

A colleague from my work advised myself that she was so  upset that she was arriving to work late as bus routes were cancelled and he had to get later buses. 

It appears that she asked the bus driver in her Seven Hills area  why this had happened and he replied, "Busways had received 68 sick calls in the morning as drivers were taking a day off to celebrate 'Diwali'" an Indian tradition also celebrated in Australia.

this would have happened in  NSW bus region 1 as the bus driver explained it has happened all the way to Penrith.  Now, I  do no  and will not discriminate any one that believes in religion. Yet, I do have an issue when there is 68 bus drivers take sick leave  and leave stranded bus commuters in Western Sydney. There wasn't a contingency plan  put into place last Monday by Busways to cover those bus drivers with replacements.

Also, although we live in a multicultural society, how do we  live in a  multicultural society that we have don't have a wide spread of  bus drivers from all different backgrounds around the world as well as  born Australians.

I think that to consider further tendering of  NSW Bus Region 1,  the NSW Government needs to ensure that in future better contingencies are put into place and when or not there are 68 drivers on sick leave or more, there needs to coverage in every bus service, as time tabled.

 In fact, Diwali or  'Deepavali' as it is known for is held on this Sunday 30th October , not last Sunday. It maybe because the Hindu Council of Australia was holding an event on 23rd October 2016 at Parramatta Park, and it seems all these drivers must have attended this venue, feeling sick next day....

This will need to be rectified for next years 'Diwali' or following years to come. I wonder if they emailed 68 sick leave certificates at 3am-4pm in the morning, before they were on roster?

Click here for Wikipedia details on Diwali
Click here for Hindu Council of Australia

Busways New Buses Services in NSW Bus Region 1 - Busways

Here are the new bus services released into NSW Bus Region 1, as advised by Busways:

Route T74

Route T75

NSW Region 1 Bus New Time Tables For T74 & T75 Buses

Even though the new bus time tables announced by Busways is not directly in Mount Druitt as it is within the region, it is good to know what bus services are  new within NSW Bus Region 1 area.

The other important thing for Mount Druitt commuters that need to travel to the below destinations, as least this is another way of finding about it. Here it is below:

Click here for T74 Bus from Blacktown to Schofields Timetables 

Click here for T75 Bus Blacktown to Riverstone Timetables

A good thing to do is sign up with Busways for updates, that is what I do. This is how you do it:

• Enter into Busways website Click here for Busways website
• Enter Bus route now (scroll up and down to locate your bus route)
• Go into 'Stay Updated'
• Enter your name and email address and submit.

So Further Reports How Mount Druitt Area- Bus Region 1 - Is Behind Compared To Sydney City Bus Regions!

Where we are told by Busways that currently that are complying to 55% of accessible buses, we in NSW Bus Region 1 are behind the times compared to Bus Region 6,7,8 and 9 - All Sydney City Bus Regions.

Their  !ratio according to Sydney Bus Information 
Home Page - Quarterly Performance Information they are up to 86.9% of accessible buses for NSW Bus Regions 6,7,8 and 9.

Yet, according to Feed back from Busways they are up to 55% compliant for accessible buses in NSW Bus  Region 1.

That is we are 31.9% behind the times - all NSW Bus regions , should be compliant at the same rate as others, not make others more compliant then others less fortunate! I do think someone needs to get answers for us and raise the ratio of accessible buses to an equal percentage.

Refer to State Member of Mount Druitt response

You can see from the table below that accessible buses in Sydney City Regions 6,7,8 and 9, that accessible bus ratios have increased per quarter. Maybe we need a quarterly performance Report from Busways easily accessible on the web as well:

State Transit Fleet

The number of buses in the State Transit fleet, as of 30 September 2015 was 2,161.

Over the past 12 months, with the introduction of new buses and the retirement of older vehicles, the overall number of wheelchair-accessible and air-conditioned buses in the fleet increased by 86.

Under the Sydney Metropolitan and Outer Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts, the average age of the State Transit fleet should be no more than 12 years. As of the 30 September 2015, the average age of the State Transit bus fleet was 10.1 years.

Table: State Transit fleet

	Sept Quarter 2015	June Quarter 2015	Sept Quarter 2014
Total number buses	2,161	2,162	2,159
Wheelchair accessible	1,878 (86.9%)	1,851 (85.6%)	1,792 (83% of fleet)
Air-conditioned	2,131 (98.6%)	2,104 (97.3%)	2, 045 (94.7% of fleet)
Average fleet age	10.1 years	10.1 years	10.04 years