Bus drivers call on NSW Transport Minister to ‘go now’

Media Release – Thursday August 31

Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s argument that Sydney buses should be privatised because commuters are unhappy with the service is in tatters after today’s Sydney Morning Herald revealed public transport patronage has significantly increased and more commuters were opting to take the bus or train instead of driving.

RTBU Bus Division Secretary Chris Preston said “Minister Constance does not have a leg to stand on. He says commuters are unhappy with their bus service but his own Department’s figures show increasing numbers of commuters are choosing to catch their local bus everyday.”

“Over 30,000 commuters have signed the paper and online petitions telling the Constance they do not want their bus services privatised.”

“If Andrew Constance is considering his future he should go now and stop trashing Sydney’s public transport services.”

The Sydney Morning Herald article indicted that “patronage on all modes of public transport in and out of the CBD between 5am and 10am has risen by more than 10 per cent to 32.9 million trips in the first six months of this year” and that there had been a 14 percent increase in patronage between 9am and 10am since 2015.

“Andrew Constance says commuters are unhappy with their service, but the facts speak for themselves. More commuters are choosing to catch their public bus. What justification does he have for flogging off Sydney’s public transport now?”

“The fact is, Andrew Constance is out of his depth and does not know what he’s doing. He’s trashing our public bus system, he’s bungled the construction of our light rail system, with appalling cost blow outs and tracks which don’t match.”

“Andrew Constance, it’s time to go.”