Bumpy Ride For New Bus Network

Newcastle Herald

Saturday November 29, 2008

MICHELLE HARRIS TRANSPORT

NEWCASTLE's long-awaited new bus network will begin tomorrow, amid an ongoing dispute about who should pay for bus stop equipment and concerns that passengers may not know enough about the changes.

Newcastle Buses and the State Government say the revised network represents a major overhaul that will deliver more direct services to passengers.

But there are questions about how smooth its introduction will be.

Some drivers who spoke to The Herald this week said they had been given information booklets about the new routes but were unaware of any information sessions held for drivers.

Customers were asking for timetables but drivers had not been given any copies to hand out.

Rail Tram and Bus Union Newcastle organiser David Woollams said more could have been done to promote the changes, such as handing out timetables at shopping centres and stop sites.

Newcastle Buses general manager David Witherdin said nearly 100,000 timetables were made available and extensive effort had been made to advertise the changes on buses, radio, the web and in newspapers.

"Our expectation is that the new network will be positively received," he said.

But passengers may find they have to make do with bus stop signs alone, which have been installed at about 40 sites.

Despite the network's introduction being pushed back several months, a dispute between Newcastle City Council and the State Government over who must pay for new bus stop seats and shelters still has not been decided.

In September, a spokeswoman for Transport Minister David Campbell said the State Government would fully pay for 11 new stops on cross-regional routes.

This week, his office said talks were continuing with the council about the rest of the new stops.

A council spokeswoman said it would upgrade three existing stops but would not pay for the other 29 new stops the network needed as it had no legal obligation to do so and had not budgeted for them.

She said Mr Campbell had offered to pay for six if the council agreed to pay for 19.

Newcastle Buses and the Hunter Development Corporation offered to foot the bill for two stops each.

The council had written to the Minister for Transport and Newcastle Buses asking what they intended to do about the rest.

Timetables: phone 131 500 or

www.newcastlebuses.info

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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