Updated Information on School Bus Changes

January 28, 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

Firstly I would like to apologise for the concern and confusion surrounding school buses, and the impact this has had on you and your child.

From 7am this morning I attended bus stops in Seaforth and Balgowlah for two hours to see the changes first hand. I will do this again next week.

As your local Member of Parliament, I work on your behalf to ensure our community receives the highest level of service from the NSW Government. In this case, we have been let down.

Background:

In December ‘Transport for NSW’ implemented a number of changes to the Northern Beaches bus network. The details of those changes can be found here.

What was the issue with the School buses?

In October and January, State Transit advised schools by email of changes to school bus services. Despite the importance of ensuring these changes were well understood by the school community and feedback from schools was taken on-board prior to any changes being implemented, there was a breakdown in communication and a failure to effectively communicate the impending changes to both the community and local Members of Parliament. This led to yesterday’s confusion and uncertainty.

I find this completely unacceptable and have made it known to State Transit and the Minister for Transport.

What is being done to resolve these issues?

After my discussions with Transport for NSW the following has occurred:

From this morning, and next week, Transport staff will be stationed at local bus stops to monitor the situation, answer questions and provide information to students and commuters.

In my view, this should have been done from the start.

Changes to school buses (including routes, timetables and changes) have been published and are available online: https://transportnsw.info/news/2021/northern-beaches-bus-changes

Having spoken with parents and reviewed the changes, it is evident that a number of them are unsatisfactory and I am advocating for the reinstatement and amendment of a number of routes and services. You can also communicate your concerns directly to the planning team via this email: [email protected]

I am grateful to you for providing me with you feedback, and again apologise for the concerns that have arisen from these changes. I will share an update with you as soon as I can.

From the 20 December more than 2,000 additional weekly bus services were added in Sydney’s Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore.

A number of old routes were replaced by new routes, and new buses.

SCHOOL BUS CHANGES:

575n Wynyard to Queenwood Junior	Route replaced with additional capacity on routes 100, 114, 228 and 230.
576n Mosman to Queenwood	Route replaced with school deviation on route 114.
577n Lane Cove Shops to Queenwood	Route replaced with school deviation on route 114.
599n St Leonard Station to Spit Junction	Route replaced with additional capacity on route 114.
623n Avalon to Mackellar Girls High	Route replaced with school extension on route 199.
654n St Augustine’s to Manly Wharf	Route replaced with school extension on route 167.
663n Avalon to St. Pauls High, Manly	AM trip replaced with school extension on route 199. No change to PM trip.
689n Balgowlah Boys HS to Avalon	Route replaced with school extension on route 199.
694n War Veterans Home to St. Pauls High, Manly	Route replaced with school extension on route 199 and increased frequency on routes 179 and 180X.
697n Carrawa Rd to St Pauls	Route replaced with school extension on route 199 and increased frequency on routes 178, 179 and 180X.
703n Avalon to Brookvale Shops	Route replaced with school extension on route 199.
765n Manly Wharf to Milsons Point	Route replaced by route 162 which will continue as route 150X from Seaforth Shops to Milsons Point.
766n Avalon to Milsons Point	Route replaced with additional capacity on route 154X and 199.
767n Avalon to Milsons Point	Route replaced with additional capacity on route 154X and 199.
773n Bilgola Plateau Primary to Avalon	An additional short working trip will operate on route 191 instead.
788n Manly to Milsons Point	Route replaced by route 162 which will continue as route 150X from Seaforth Shops to Milsons Point.

Routes Changes
597n The Spit Bridge to North Sydney Station	Route adjusted to operate between The Spit Bridge and Seaforth Shops only. Continues as route 150X from Seaforth Shops to Milsons Point.
687n Harbord to Milsons Point	Route adjusted to operate between North Curl Curl and Manly Wharf only. Both trips continue as route 150X from Manly Wharf to Milsons Point.
709n Balmoral to Milsons Point	Route adjusted to operate between Balmoral and Mosman High School only. Continues as route 230 from Mosman High School to Milsons Point.
723n Manly Wharf to Oxford Falls Grammar School	Route adjusted to operate between Seaforth Shops and Oxford Falls Grammar School in the AM only. An AM additional trip provided and additional capacity also provided on route 162.

Route Renumbered
655w North Sydney Boys High to Taronga Park Zoo	Route renumbered 792n
660w North Sydney Girls High to Manly Wharf	Route renumbered 793n
661w North Sydney Girls to Manly Wharf	Route renumbered 794n

Timetable Changes
579n Chatswood Station to Queenwood	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
589n Spit Junction to Milsons Point	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
601n Manly Wharf to Cromer Primary	AM trip now departs 4 minutes earlier.
611n Howard Ave, Dee Why to Mackellar Girls High	0748 trip now departs at 0743. 0819 trip now departs at 0821.
637n Beacon Hill (Warringah Rd & Ellis St) to Pittwater High	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
660n Frenchs Forest to St Augustine	AM trip now departs 4 mins earlier. Simultaneous change to route 193 to deviate via NBSC Manly and NBSC Freshwater Senior Campuses.
661n Rabbett St & Forest Way to St. Augustine’s Brookvale	AM trip now departs 1 minute later.
668n Balgowlah Heights to St Luke’s, Dee Why	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
673n Careel Head Road to St. Luke’s Dee Why	AM trip at 0729 now departs at 0725.
675n Balgowlah Heights to St. Luke’s Dee Why	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
677n Warriewood Square to St. Luke’s Dee Why	AM trip now departs 7 minutes earlier.
684n Collaroy Plateau to Balgowlah Boys High	AM additional trip will operate (to free up an artic).
693n Narraweena to St. Pauls High, Manly	AM trip at 0738 now departs at 0729. AM trip at 0759 now departs at 0756.
695n Frenchs Forest to St Pauls	AM trip now departs 8 minutes earlier.
696n Frenchs Forest to St Pauls	AM trip now departs 5 minutes earlier.
702n French Forest to St Pauls	AM trip now departs 8 minutes earlier.
712n Pittwater House to Pittwater High	AM trip now departs 4 minutes earlier.
720n Wyuna Ave & Oliver sts to Rabbett St & Forest Way	AM trip now departs 2 minutes earlier.
725n Wheeler Heights Shops to Manly High School	AM trip now departs 4 minutes later.
730n Seaforth to Manly High School	AM trip now departs 1 minute earlier.
732n Allambie & Rodborough Rds. to Manly High School	AM trip now departs 1 minute earlier.
746n Rabbett St & Forest Way to Manly High School	AM trip now departs 6 minutes earlier.
747n Frenchs Forest to Stella Maris	AM trip now departs 3 minutes earlier.
776n Brookvale to Frenchs Forest	AM trip now departs 2 minutes earlier.
785n Seaforth to Cromer High School	AM trip now departs 6 minutes earlier.

You can find a full list of the other changes here: https://transportnsw.info/news/2020/northern-beaches-lower-north-shore-bus-service-improvements

Given the scale of changes, I am compiling a list of the changes where commuters have been inconvenienced and I am advocating directly to the Minister for Transport and working with Transport for NSW to resolve issues arising from unsatisfactory changes.

Please feel free to email me with your concerns should you have any [email protected].

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James Griffin MP, Member for Manly

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