Don’t Sell Our Buses: what you need to know about bus privatisation

The NSW Government has made no secret of its plans to privatise more of Sydney’s bus networks.

Recent bus privatisation in the inner-west and Newcastle hasn’t worked. On-time running is down, routes have been cut, stops have closed, and workers’ conditions have plummeted.

In Region 6, on-time running has plummeted since the service was privatised. Since taking over, the private company has failed to meet its on-time running KPIs every month.

The NSW Government’s privatisation plans have failed dismally in Newcastle and in Region 6. It would be irresponsible for the Minister to even consider privatising even more of Sydney’s buses. But – we know what this Transport Minister is capable of…..

Commuters deserve to know their current routes and services are going to be protected, and bus drivers deserve to know their wages and conditions are also going to protected.

Cuts to local bus services aren’t just an inconvenience – they’re a serious risk. In Newcastle we’ve seen kids left by the side of the road; the less-able in the community forced to change buses multiple times to get to appointments, or stop using public transport altogether.

It’s a basic responsibility of our government to provide a safe, affordable and reliable public transport network, but at the moment the NSW Government seems intent on shirking that responsibility.

The RTBU is going to fight hard to protect bus drivers’ wages and working conditions. But if we’re to be successful, we all need to work together. This won’t be easy, but if we stay united, we can protect our jobs and our public transport system.

What can you do right now?

• Talk to your family, friends and co-workers about the risks of privatisation. Got questions about privatisation? Speak to your local delegate or call the RTBU office.
• Sign up to Our Transport: www.ourtransport.org.au and ask your family and friends to do the same. We’ll be campaigning publicly through that site.
• If you haven’t already, join your union. We’re stronger together.
• Watch the video below on how bus privatisation affects you.

Media Release: On-demand transport could be a stepping stone to future investment in Newcastle

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW has cautiously welcomed the addition of new on-demand services to Newcastle’s public transport offering, hoping that if properly managed, it could increase public transport patronage and prompt investment in higher capacity vehicles and full route services.

RTBU Divisional Secretary David Babineau said the popularity of recent additions to Newcastle’s transit network, including park-and-ride services and the new tram line, demonstrate that choice and convenience are key to meeting commuters’ needs but that integration and planning must be put first.

“We welcome the move to diversify Newcastle’s public transport offering and design services that suit the needs of the public, we hope that this time it can be done in consultation with the people of Newcastle and in a way that encourages the growth of public transport as a whole,” said Mr Babineau.

“We must be cautious when implementing this radically different operating model. With services departing immediately when ordered, steps must be taken to ensure drivers are not overworked and have regular rest throughout their work day, just like in any other job. Driver safety is obviously another key concern.

“The vehicles currently used lack the safety measure of normal buses and it’s unsure how safety in the proposed 6 seater vehicles will be addressed. But this is a first step, and hopefully the first of many, towards an integrated solution aimed at genuinely growing the network and not just playing more games with the travelling public.

“While the Union always supports the creation of jobs, the transport network of Newcastle has suffered a lot of political interference that has not benefited the public. Hopefully this trial can be done properly and the games can come to an end.”

RTBU urges Brisbane City Council to do more to protect drivers against abuse

It has been revealed that Brisbane bus drivers are huge targets of abuse with a driver ambushed by a man wielding a tomahawk just weeks ago. As members are likely aware, abuse against bus drivers is not new unfortunately and neither is the government’s lack of response. As was proved in the case of the late Mr Alisher, buses are desperately in need of additional security measures to protect both drivers and passengers. The lack of protection costs lives.

Instead of immediately improving security with no questions asked, Brisbane City Council has insisted that it can’t do more than the bare minimum and come out with more bureaucratic nonsense, saying that bus driver protection is a state responsibility.

Though they’ve decided to run an ad campaign and make minor additions to buses for safety, they still aren’t listening to the drivers that face dangerous situations every day. Drivers have been demanding full screens instead of the useless half coverage safety screens the Council has provided. A half screen is not much use if someone gets on the bus with a literal ax to grind.

“The attempts of the Council to brush this off and try to fix things are laughable. Brisbane bus drivers are better off taking their own safety screen to work. If they really had safety as their number one priority, maybe we would actually see action that’s not completely incompetent,” said RTBU NSW Tram and Bus Secretary, David Babineau.

“At this stage the Council just appears to be incapable of doing what needs to be done without being forced into honouring their duty of care to drivers. We’re 100% behind our comrades in Brisbane as they continue to fight and try to point these government bureaucrats in the right direction and keep them focused on effective driver safety.”

Click here to read more.

Teenage boy lucky to escape serious injury after being hit by tram

Last week, a teenage boy narrowly escaped serious injury after he was hit by a tram during testing at Moore Park.

He received minor injuries and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

The incident serves as a reminder that pedestrians need to be a lot more careful around trams and pay attention to tram testing signs. With the light rail being steadily rolled out across the city, there will be more and more chances for incidents to occur. Drivers undergo a lot of mandatory testing and are well prepared when they get in a vehicle. However, they cannot account for unsafe actions from other road users and all incidents deeply affect drivers.

“We are supporting our member as he deals with this frightening incident. Safety is the number one priority of all our drivers and we urge all users of the road to be more careful around tram testing sites. Accident or prank, this could have ended very badly for all concerned,” said RTBU Tram and Bus Secretary, David Babineau.

Hills residents still campaigning against local bus cuts

As members are aware, the new Metro has led to extreme bus cuts in Sydney’s north-west. Express buses to the city and other major areas were completely scrapped or significantly reduced. As per usual, there was no community consultation and the focus turned to getting everyone on the Metro, regardless of whether it was in their best interests or not.

Now, residents of the Hills area are campaigning in the community to have services return to what they were. The increased commute times and more frequent changes between modes of transport have left residents a lot worse off. Commuting times have doubled and many have to get to the car park before 6:30am just to get a spot.

“We completely agree with commuters. Scrapping the buses has been a wasteful exercise for everyone involved. The only thing this NSW Government does consistently is ignore commuters and communities in the pursuit of scoring political points,” said RTBU Tram and Bus Secretary David Babineau.

“People are more than just numbers to be shunted onto various transport platforms and assumed to be happily travelling. Their needs matter and what they need right now are their bus services returned and for the Government to listen for once.”

Please click here to read more from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Sydney light rail class action gains momentum

Over 200 people are seeking compensation for the mishandling of the new light rail since its 2015 beginnings. Members of the public have lodged a nuisance lawsuit for all the commotion, delayed construction and financial loss due to the project.

Residents say that they’ve been suffering in silence for four years now and there’s no end in sight with the project being constantly delayed. Businesses are facing complete shutdown despite government support programs which have now ended despite ongoing light rail work in Kingsford.

“That’s exactly what happens when there’s an utter lack of consultation with the public before embarking on billion dollar projects which affect so many people in their daily lives and livelihoods. We can only hope the government learns from its mistakes and actually takes the public’s view into consideration once in a while,” said RTBU Tram and Bus Secretary, David Babineau.

Click here to read more from the Daily Telegraph.