NSW Bus Industry Taskforce announced

[Fleet Lists]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-a ... -announced
The NSW Government has announced the creation of a Taskforce to make recommendations to improve the reliability, quality and effectiveness of bus services across NSW.


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Home News and events Articles NSW Bus Industry Taskforce announced

NSW Bus Industry Taskforce announced
Published1 May 2023
The NSW Government has announced the creation of a Taskforce to make recommendations to improve the reliability, quality and effectiveness of bus services across NSW.

Transport for NSW is responsible for regulating bus services across the state, working with bus operators to provide consistent fares, concessions, timetables, and service standards for passengers. It also utilises passenger information data and systems to analyse the quality of services.

Bus services connect people to jobs, education, family and essential services and play a crucial role in supporting the broader transport network.

A Bus Industry Taskforce will bring together bus operators, industry experts, the workforce, and community representatives to determine how to deliver more efficient and reliable services.

The initial focus of the Taskforce will include performance issues experienced by passengers such as on time running, service cancellations and complaints management. It will make recommendations to the Minister on options to improve contracts, how services are planned and communities are consulted on changes to routes, supporting technology and infrastructure, the transition to clean energy, employment arrangements and any necessary legislative or regulatory changes.

In formulating its advice to the Minister, the Taskforce will also consider the Report into the Privatisation of Bus Services.

Members of the Taskforce are:

Taskforce Chair:
John Lee, Former CEO of State Transit Authority & multiple private bus companies

Panel Members:

Matt Threlkeld (Executive Director of BusNSW)
Joanna Quilty (CEO of NSW Council of Social Service)
Darriea Turley (Local Government NSW)
David Babineau (Rail Tram and Bus Union)
Mick Pieri (Transport Workers Union)

The taskforce will engage with key stakeholders, seeking their views and input. These stakeholders include:

Bus Operators
Transport for NSW, and associated entities
Rail Tram and Bus Union, Transport Workers Union and Unions NSW
BusNSW
Bus Industry Confederation
Bus industry suppliers
The Office of Transport Safety Investigations
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Department of Premier and Cabinet and NSW Treasury
Local Government
Education authorities
NSW Council of Social Service

The Taskforce will also engage directly with community through meetings, submissions and the establishment of a Passenger Reference Group.

An interim report is expected within ten weeks with a final report to be tabled in May 2024 for consideration by Cabinet.

For more information, please email: Bustaskforce@transport.nsw.gov.au

Here we go again.

[flitter]

Nice to see that bus users are well represented…

[tonyp]

Perhaps they should include somebody from UITP on the Panel, since the driver shortage is a national and international issue. If they're operating on the premise that it's just a NSW problem they won't get very far just hounding the operators to find a solution. Such a person would be more useful than the two union reps - who interestingly outnumber Matt Threlkeld 2 to 1. Loaded much?

Brisbane buses is a (local) government operation, so the ownership of the operation doesn't seem to be the cause.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-29/ ... /102280636

[boronia]

Nice to see that bus users are well represented…

Yes, 8 million or so people in NSW who each think that bus services should run to where they want to go (maybe only occasionally) at the times they want, and in a single trip.

They "survey" 100 people on their needs and get 100 different suggestions. They pick one, and the other 99 complain "they don't listen to us".

[Merc1107]

Perhaps they should include somebody from UITP on the Panel, since the driver shortage is a national and international issue. If they're operating on the premise that it's just a NSW problem they won't get very far just hounding the operators to find a solution.

The situation at present is like trying to fill a bathtub with the plug pulled out; and the only time this strategy has ever even been even remotely sustainable is during economic downturns, when recruits are a dime a dozen. Right now, recruits are relatively scarce yet attrition remains high. The solution is to fix the issues with attrition, so hounding the operators is the first step, as it their processes, the conditions some place workers under and the culture of their organisation that all contribute to the high rate of attrition (beyond any issues related to an ageing workforce transitioning into retirement) that has been experienced for much, much longer than COVID has been around.

[tonyp]

The situation at present is like trying to fill a bathtub with the plug pulled out; and the only time this strategy has ever even been even remotely sustainable is during economic downturns, when recruits are a dime a dozen. Right now, recruits are relatively scarce yet attrition remains high. The solution is to fix the issues with attrition, so hounding the operators is the first step, as it their processes, the conditions some place workers under and the culture of their organisation that all contribute to the high rate of attrition (beyond any issues related to an ageing workforce transitioning into retirement) that has been experienced for much, much longer than COVID has been around.

My point is that government operators are facing the same situation, therefore it's hard to argue that it's somehow a result of operational contracting to the private sector, which is the political beatup line in NSW. The NSW Labor government will be hoping that this taskforce will come down on the private sector and having two union representatives and one representing the operators will help such a result to materialise. Are there similar taskforces in Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart set up to discover why those government operators are having trouble finding drivers?

[Campbelltown busboy]

Surprising that the ACTU doesn’t have a seat at this labor backed taskforce ether Sally said no to sending a representative or the ACTU didn’t get a invite

[Merc1107]

My point is that government operators are facing the same situation, therefore it's hard to argue that it's somehow a result of operational contracting to the private sector, which is the political beatup line in NSW.

Personally, I believe the issue of privatisation is a small piece of a rather big puzzle.

Thus far, however, no meaningful comparisons between public and private operators have been drawn, with both sides of the privatisation debacle trying to draw unsubstantiated conclusions about its effects on cancelled/late services (anywhere from "significant improvement" to "the sky is falling!"). The ABC article linked above claims Transport for Brisbane are cutting just 1% of scheduled services. How does that compare with the multitude of privates that also operate in the SE QLD region? How has staffing and lost trips changed as the STA was progressively wound up? How have the always-private areas in Greater Sydney (and the rest of NSW) been faring at the same time? With any luck, these sorts of comparisons will be made by the taskforce, as it would give a clearer picture of what is actually going on.

If there are outliers in terms of staff turnover (translating into a higher number of cut trips), then serious questions need to be asked about the ability of these operators to hire suitable persons, and manage them appropriately.

[boronia]

Another "enquiry". "investigation", "taskforce": suggesting that our new Transport Minister doesn't understand what is going on, or how to handle it.

[alleve]

Another "enquiry". "investigation", "taskforce": suggesting that our new Transport Minister doesn't understand what is going on, or how to handle it.

Or alternatively it suggests that the previous Government left behind some serious problems that need to be rectified

[stajourneyman]

Regarding the ex STA operations, I think it would be useful to compare recruitment, retirement, resignation and dismissal figures using pre-Covid, Covid, post Covid and then privatisation periods.

Once that information is obtained, then look into the ‘why’s’ of the resignations.

With all that information, I think the true reasons for this situation should become clear.

[lunchbox]

It will be interesting to see how much notice the "industry experts" on the Taskforce take of the Legislative Council's Report, which was, of course, prepared by politicians....
Which group is best equipped to understand, and make recomendations on, the public interest?
516

[tonyp]

It will be interesting to see how much notice the "industry experts" on the Taskforce take of the Legislative Council's Report, which was, of course, prepared by politicians....
Which group is best equipped to understand, and make recomendations on, the public interest?
516

The LC's report was a useless shambles, except for the Dissenting Report which was unfortunately word-restricted. I'm surprised that this group doesn't include APT to at least to round it out better and counteract the imbalance of the union representation.

I would also hope that they consider what's happening nationally and overseas to give it context, also considering that NSW has by far Australia's largest bus operation, which makes the problem look worse. The Coalition shouldn't have introduced all those extra services, just let people continue driving. Then there's the introduction of heavy battery buses, resulting in less passenger capacity, thus need for even more buses and more drivers.

[gascoyne]

The NSW Government has created a Taskforce to make recommendations to improve the reliability, quality and effectiveness of bus services across NSW. As part of the Taskforce's work there are bus passenger forums across NSW to listen to passengers and representatives from local communities ...

Not quite everywhere but one Hunter forum and one at Dee Why.

You can apply for a seat at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/buspassengerforums

[lunchbox]

"BUS INDUSTRY TASKFORCE"
The taskforce's website is at -
https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/bu ... -taskforce

Public submissions are invited, from 23.6.23 to 31.3.24.
There's a pro-forma on the above website.

1480

[boronia]

Submissions open for 9 months? Can't accuse them of rushing into it.

[tonyp]

Submissions open for 9 months? Can't accuse them of rushing into it.

Maybe the taskforce is stuck in traffic.

[Merc1107]

Or their bus to work was privatised

(Joking, of course)

[Fleet Lists]

Trailerbus has its own thread - no need to discuss it here as well.

[eddy]

Trailerbus has its own thread - no need to discuss it here as well.

OK
The world makes things to fit on a 2.55m tautliner that will not fit either side of Australian 2.5m so the extra width will be pushed by the trucking industry, also as electric cars are expensive and hard to charge there will be an increase in privately owned bikes, mobility scooters and electric bikes so people can leave their home whenever to go to the nearest bus stop to take their bike etc. for use to their final destination.

[Fleet Lists]

What does this have to do with this subject - it still seems to be pushing the same thing you are pushing in the Trailerbus thread.

[Campbelltown busboy]

What does this have to do with this subject - it still seems to be pushing the same thing you are pushing in the Trailerbus thread.

At least the ones that keep going on how NSW has to adopt all door loading for buses and European style 3 door 12m buses haven't started to argue their agenda here yet

[eddy]

What does this have to do with this subject - it still seems to be pushing the same thing you are pushing in the Trailerbus thread.

The legal width of new buses will be determined by trucks rather than buses.

[Fleet Lists]

Trucks - so this has even less to do with the NSW Bus Industry Taskforce

[tonyp]

At least the ones that keep going on how NSW has to adopt all door loading for buses and European style 3 door 12m buses haven't started to argue their agenda here yet

40% of the Taskforce being union representatives will ensure that those subjects don't get a look in. That would be like asking a train taskforce to consider getting rid of guards, or even crews altogether.