Australasian Bus & Coach Issue 355

“The industry has never faced such a diverse range of potential disruptions” ABC was lucky enough to be invited to the Bus Industry Confederation’s bi-annual National Technical and Suppliers Summit in Canberra recently. While many things were discussed, including design rules, it soon became clear that the industry has never faced such a diverse range of potential disruptions to the effectiveness of its traditional business models. The sharing economy – particularly services like Uber – has the power to transform passenger habits for good and in a very short space of time. The lay person is not concerned about what mode of transport they use. They are simply looking for the most hassle-free way of getting from point A to B. At the same time, operators face what industrial relations…

Contracts that run Melbourne’s bus network will be altered this year and the current terms will be renegotiated, the Victorian Government announced. Bus Association Victoria executive director Chris Lowe says that the state government has written to operators confirming they will negotiate the renewal of their service contracts, so no tendering. “We welcome this, as this has been the custom for decades. Negotiation is a much more effective method of procurement than tendering,” he says. He says that historical declining bus patronage is a result of a myki ticketing system that still doesn’t work properly; poor service planning by state government and the price of oil. “We reject any implication or assertion by anyone that declining patronage is because of the Melbourne’s 12 private bus operators. The reason why we…

Early work on the new custom-built bus station at Spit Junction started recently, with workers demolishing the old cinema building on the corner of Spit Junction and Clifford Street to make way for the complex in Sydney. New B-Line double decker buses will hit the road later this year, delivering more reliable and frequent services to bus passengers travelling between the Northern Beaches and the CBD. “This new turn-up-and-go service will mean a bus every five minutes during the peak periods in the peak direction, and every 10 minutes during other times of the day,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson says. Once complete, bus users on the Lower North Shore will be able to catch a new B-Line service from stops at Spit Junction and Neutral Bay. “We’re building a…

Work on Sydney’s new $4.3 billion M5 reached a major milestone with tunnelling starting at the Arncliffe and Bexley construction sites recently. Minister for WestConnex Stuart Ayres says work to deliver Australia’s largest transport project was pushing ahead with two roadheaders already working to build the new M5’s 9km twin tunnels stretching from St Peters to Beverly Hills. “These new tunnels will run roughly in parallel to the existing M5 east, expanding the overall motorway corridor from two to four lanes in each direction, doubling its capacity, and halving the time it takes for motorists to get from Beverly Hills to St Peters,” he says. “We’re pushing ahead to deliver this project for western Sydney motorists, with tunnelling taking place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at three…

“I wanted to show the drivers that we understand the graffiti is ugly and demoralising” Transdev Melbourne is on a mission to find a solution to its significant graffiti problem in 2017, starting with a clean-up of its buses at Sunshine West. Teams of two were allocated graffiti wipes, solvent spray and rags or paint rollers. Moving methodically through the buses, a triage process was developed and once a bus was judged beyond cleaning it was tagged to be painted. Transdev Melbourne managing director Harry Wijers says he wouldn’t be happy working in an environment that has been targeted by vandals, so he can understand that it has a big impact on the morale of drivers. “I wanted to show the drivers that we understand the graffiti is ugly and…

“We have two professional football teams in the city and we support both of them” Scania and Irizar have delivered a new i6 coach to NSW operator Sid Fogg’s Coaches that will transport the Newcastle Jets Hyundai A-League soccer team in 2017. The Newcastle Jets’ new coach is one of three Scania-powered IRIZAR i6s to be delivered to Sid Fogg’s in the first few months of 2017. Already delivered is a K310 school, charter and corporate 13.5m coach, while a 14.5m steerable tag-axle 64-seater will follow next month. Sid Fogg’s Coaches has been providing transport services to the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and the Central Coast, for more than 60 years. Graham Habgood, who has owned Sid Fogg’s Coaches in partnership with his wife Kathy for almost 30 years, says he…