Darwin bus contract / operator

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Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by Darwin bus lover »

The new Darwin bus contract due to begin 27/05/2022 (https://tendersonline.nt.gov.au/Tender/ ... ails/19107) will be awarded to Buslink. Territory Transit has been co-operating since 2014 and despite its best efforts has not been successful. All TT employees will be offered employment at Buslink and all entitlements will be transferred.

Note upon further advice the new start date is 03/07/2022
Last edited by Darwin bus lover on Wed May 25, 2022 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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It was my understanding that Buslink (Owned by CDC) already operated some services https://buslink.com.au/bus-services/darwin/ but this could be school services only, in Darwin. Does this mean that CDC will now operate all Darwin services?
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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CDC-Buslink have run about 60% of the network for many years now. With some exceptions (most school runs, rural routes, the 24, 87 & 88), Buslink and Territory Transit presently share all public services and a handful of school bus services. Buslink have operated services since the mid-late 1980s, with Hansard records showing this was done to reduce the burgeoning costs associated with the Darwin Bus Service.

The 60/40 split of services puzzles me. I guess it was easier than letting Buslink take the lot back in 2014.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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It is also noted that in NSW (Broken Hill), Victoria and Queensland the name Buslink has been dropped eg https://cdcqueensland.com.au/ for the link to Queensland from the Buslink webite - I am surprised that the name Buslink is still used in the Northern Territory.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by E.L.Wood »

In January the name CDC Northern Territory Pty.Ltd. as a business name of Buslink Pty.Ltd. , if you look at the tender there were 3 tenders lodged, one of the applicants was ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia Pty Ltd. Also of note is the shortness of the contract- 72 months. Generally in the NT tendersonline site the succesful tenderer is listed, this tender hasn't appeared as yet in the Awarded Contracts section.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by 1whoknows »

The 60/40 split is largely historic and reflects the size of the former government run Darwin Bus Service fleet. Buslink had basically absorbed all the growth of services. The original Buslink was formed in the late 1980s when the NT Government decided to modernise Darwins school bus service. Before that there were several operators using ageing buses mostly second hand from NSW or Vic. The new contract, gained by Buslink, provided for all buses to be purchased new. For a short period two other operators Kapser and Shuker remained doing school runs. Kapser ceased and Shuker sold to Buslink.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by Merc1107 »

That is correct 1whoknows, although it seems Buslink were used as a cheaper alternative to expanding DBS, whose inefficiency in staffing and fleet utilisation was a routinely cited in Hansard documents throughout the 1980s.

Even today though, fleet utilisation between the two operators is vastly different - compare the number of public buses that lay idle in the depots middle of the AM and PM peaks between Buslink and TT, or catch a glimpse of the odometers.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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E.L.Wood wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 11:28 pmGenerally in the NT tendersonline site the succesful tenderer is listed, this tender hasn't appeared as yet in the Awarded Contracts section.
A search online has found this announcement from Kelsian on the loss of the contract. Of some interest - it cites the contract being 32 buses when the urban fleet at TT is presently 34.

My understanding is that TT and Buslink both own their respective fleets. With that in mind, it will be quite interesting to see what Buslink can source at such short notice; whether they are able to buy the former TT fleet, if they'll pickup bits and pieces from other operations interstate, return 167-173 to urban service (they'll need cages and ticketing equipment - the latter not a big issue, with over half the Darwin fleet missing ticketing equipment at present), or purchase new/used vehicles.
In the event TT take their buses with them, the precedent over the past few years has been for Darwin's castaways to end up in Adelaide. Whether this remains true, or not, we will see.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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The winning tender by CDC Darwin is now shown on NT Tenders and Quotations Online.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Which tends to indicate that they may adopt the CDC Darwin name for the Darwin operation. The existing Buslink website appears to be well out of date.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Their Facebook Page indicates they will shortly be rebranding as CDC Darwin. Although I had been told it was meant to happen over a year ago now, so we shall see.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Actually it shows CDC Northern Territory - so more confusion.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Territory Transit has operated its final Darwin service. As of tomorrow all Darwin services will technically be operated by CDC.

The service arriving can be found;
https://youtu.be/mm9D-2IDizk
And departing;
https://youtu.be/VD2ihgsM7Vo
Last edited by Darwin bus lover on Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Good coverage, thanks for sharing
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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https://www.transitsystems.com.au/nt-da ... s-operator shows it still operating 10 buses in Katherine. So the above only covers Darwin services having gone to CDC.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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New CDC website is https://www.cdcnorthernterritory.com.au/ as from today
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by Merc1107 »

I would assume that's correct. 2021 was their first year with that contract but not sure how long it was for.

I've heard the prior operator did not wish to retender for reasons that anyone who has visited the NT could probably comprehend.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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The Bus Australia list of Northern Territory operators https://www.busaustralia.com/links.php?state=nt has been updated to reflect the changes.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

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Fleet Lists wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:35 pm https://www.transitsystems.com.au/nt-da ... s-operator shows it still operating 10 buses in Katherine. So the above only covers Darwin services having gone to CDC.
Yep, sorry completely forgot they existed.
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Re: Darwin bus contract / operator

Post by E.L.Wood »

Fleet Lists wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:35 pm https://www.transitsystems.com.au/nt-da ... s-operator shows it still operating 10 buses in Katherine. So the above only covers Darwin services having gone to CDC.
The Katherine contract is for school bus services in the Katherine area, nothing to do with Darwin,IIRC about a 6 year contract.
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