Govt steers airport commuters away from cheap bus towards private train
The Government is keeping the route 400 bus from Bondi a mystery as it’s a cheaper option to get to the airport than taking the train, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The route doesn’t show up on the Government’s trip planner, instead it urges commuters to travel on the Airport Link train line that stings commuters a $12 station access charge.
Another reason the State Government should steer clear of privatising public transport services? We think so.
The Tele reports:
IT’S been jokingly dubbed the Area 51 of Sydney’s Airport’s transport mess – the cheap bus to the airport the government doesn’t want you to know about.
The hour-long $4.60 Route 400 trip from Bondi to the airport doesn’t even exist according to the state government’s own trip planner. Instead, the transport advice website directs commuters to catch the 39-minute $16.70 double train trip from Bondi to Sydney Kingsford Smith.
That trip includes a $12 station access charge – which the Airport Link splits with the state government, giving it more than $1 million in revenue a month.
Sydney Airport’s website spruiks the bus but its link to Sydney Buses refers travellers to catch the train. A government spokesman said there was no conspiracy and it was simply that the website automatically found the fastest route.
Heffron MP Ron Hoenig called for the $12 service access charge to be removed to ease congestion. “It is the greatest deterrent for people using the train to the airport,” he said.
He also said the government should negotiate with Airport Link Company to get out of the contract which prevents it from running any more bus services.