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Briefly block out the funky Reggae-ish ‘ohhhhh’ inflection parts of Sting’s vocals in the 1979 hit song Message In A Bottle and you might better appreciate The Police were just singing about some castaway’s yearning to be saved from a loneliness-induced state of despair. Not from being in it, but before going into it – and similarly the Australian coach industry is seeking federal government help now before things get even worse. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fluctuating fortunes of different levels of restrictions in different states at different times [facepalm] – underwritten by the bewildering ‘the mask wearing we said was actually bad before is now back to being good again’ [another facepalm] – is doing the head in of many a coach operator nationwide trying…
THE TENDER for Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the Lower North Shore bus contract – Region 8 – is now officially open, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has announced. The “competitive tender process” for operating Region 8 bus services is an opportunity for leading transport operators from both Australia and overseas to demonstrate how they will deliver improved services to customers on behalf of the NSW government, TfNSW explains. “We’re looking for an operator to deliver new and innovative services for our customers on the North Shore and Northern Beaches. This will mean more frequent and convenient services throughout the day, including turn-up-and-go and on-demand routes,” said Elizabeth Mildwater, deputy secretary – Greater Sydney, at TfNSW. “We’re also looking for operators to show us how they can help the government transition to…
THE UNIVERSITY of New South Wales – one of Australia’s leading research and teaching universities – has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dutch e-bus manufacturer Ebusco, to “accelerate development of zero emissions transport”, the entities have announced. The Sydney-based UNSW’s agreement with the Dutch electric bus manufacturer will bolster research and development of electric vehicles and sustainable transport in Australia, they state. UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs, says the partnership reflects UNSW’s commitment to a more sustainable future. “This new collaboration with Ebusco will help make significant advances in areas such as renewable energy and manufacturing – both areas of research strength at UNSW,” Professor Jacobs said. “We are committed to taking action on climate change and to working with industry as such partnerships are key…
PENALTIES will apply to some bus and truck operators for avoiding Sydney’s new NorthConnex toll road, with gantry-camera vehicle-size monitoring in use, warns NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). As first reported in ABC magazine’s sister title ATN, amidst the pomp and ceremony of NorthConnex’s first end-to-end drivethrough lurks a Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) memo to commercial vehicle operators in May 2020, on the consequences of avoiding the new toll road. The launch of the $3 billion state-federal initiative saw a photo opportunity for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance at the 9km twin tunnels, which travel between the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga and the M2 Hills Motorway at West Pennant…
A LOOMING ELECTION at the time with expert opinion it will take another 12 to 18 months before the Australian bus industry is able to “transition out of this crisis”, the federal government is being asked to “step up and do more” to “protect our industry and the people we support”, says the Bus Industry Confederation (BIC). Australia’s peak bus body – representing an industry responsible for transporting alone more than 500,000 coach passengers every day – made the call for a national rescue package in its advisory role to the Tourism Restart Taskforce, which was established by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in April 2020. Speaking on behalf of the BIC following the recent release of the Tourism Restart Taskforce’s plan to rebuild Australia’s tourism sector, executive…
A LONG-AWAITED decision on an industrial relations-shaping ‘work status’ case has cast casual drivers into the Australian bus industry’s spotlight during an expert-led round-table discussion, recently. If the decision stands, operators will be required to make dramatic changes to their work forces and perhaps further changes made to the Awards and Enterprise Agreements. The conjecture comes following a Bus Industry Confederation (BIC)-led Industrial Working Group’s online seminar held on June 12, 2020, where Professor Andrew Stewart – Professor at Law, Adelaide University – gave his views on what the decision means for the bus industry. THE CASE On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, the eagerly anticipated decision in the Workpac Pty Ltd v. Rossato was handed down. The case related to Mr Rossato, a casual worker employed by labour-hire company WorkPac…
