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Visit the Media Release: Commuters suffer as privatisation takes its toll on inner-west buses
It is clear that decisions from the NSW Government to privatise buses have only resulted in disaster for Sydney’s public transport system. New figures in today’s Sydney Morning Heraldreveal that privatisation in Region 6 has led to a decrease in on-time running.
Here’s a media release the Tram and Bus Division released today in response:
Commuters in Sydney’s inner-west have been robbed of a reliable bus service, with on-time running plummeting since the NSW Government privatised the service.
Data shows the buses – now run by private company Transit Systems – have failed to meet the on-time running key performance measure of 95 per cent of buses running on time every month since the private company took over the contract in July last year.
Tram and Bus Division Secretary, David Babineau, said the figures are more evidence that when transport is privatised, commuters and workers lose out.
“This is exactly what happens when you sell a public transport service off to the private sector – commuters lose out,” Mr Babineau said. “Commuters in the inner west are being robbed of the quality bus service they deserve.
“We’ve seen it in Newcastle and now we’re seeing it in the inner-west. When bus services are privatised, bus stops close, on-time running goes out the window, routes are cut and workers’ conditions plummet.
“The NSW Government used poor on-time running to justify the privatisation of Region 6 buses. Now we’re seeing that under private hands the figures have actually got worse.
“The private sector, by its very nature, is there to turn a profit. Private companies are more focused on making a buck than in delivering a quality service for commuters.
“The NSW Government should be looking at these figures in the inner-west and ruling out the privatisation of any further bus regions, and commuters in other regions should be looking at this and demanding that their services remain in public hands.
“These late buses aren’t just a simple inconvenience for many people, they’re a safety issue too. Kids missing buses, older people missing appointments – a poor bus service can be incredibly risky. It’s a basic responsibility of our government to provide a safe, affordable and reliable public transport network, but at the moment the Transport Minister seems intent on shirking that responsibility.”