New Sydney and Outer Metro bus contracts (as from 2020)

[boronia]

Do we know that the Oliveris even tendered for this contract? Maybe they decided to quit. The land seems to be ripe for redevelopment.

[Glen]

Do we know that the Oliveris even tendered for this contract?

Refer to post in this thread on 3 October quoting their web site, which suggests they did.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Are there any pre June 2014 depot summeries for Busways Campbelltown as the Transit Systems Bradbury depot looks way too small to fit 70 buses ether Transit Systems has found a way to increase depot capacity or it's just see how many buses they can fit into the depot. I would think the Hoxton Park idea is to take capacity strain off the 3 region 2 depots they can't increase the capacity at Macquarie Fields as interline would have been having those same capacity issues with Macquarie Fields before Leppington came online. Then there is the question of how much depot capacity did Busways have for Smeaton Grange when they put the bulding DA for the depot into Camden council about 20 years ago

[Linto63]

The article didn't disclose the highly relevant fact that Transit Systems (Kelsian) is an Australian company, opting instead for innuendo.

Don't see the need, the article is not suggesting that Kelsian is foreign owned, it is stating it is a multinational with examples of where it has operations, no innuendo but a statement of facts.

It's worth observing that many of the comment-writers fell for the journalist's narrative hook line and sinker, so mission accomplished for the Herald. However, somebody evidently a member of this board has posted the facts and at least they published that. If that didn't happen we'd have a whole bunch of Herald readers thinking that the region's contract had been given to an overseas multinational. You think that's OK?

Online newspaper comment sections are usually a sewer of ignorant or ill informed comments, this one appears to be no different. That some don't understand the difference between multinational and foreign owned is not surprising.

Regards the end of the road for most of the family operated bus companies, which is really what the article is about, rather than an anti-foreign ownership agenda some are trying to make out, it was inevitable that the big groups would prevail. Once the decision was made to allow combined bids for more than one region, and with the competitive advantage of a good understanding of how their region functioned that the incumbents had partially gone, the family operators were up against it.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Online newspaper comment sections are usually a sewer of ignorant or ill informed comments, this one appears to be no different. That some don't understand the difference between multinational and foreign owned is not surprising.

It’s like the unions saying that Transport For NSW privatising everything when it’s just basicly the day to day depot operations that end up being the only thing to get privatiseed

[BAMBAM]

Online newspaper comment sections are usually a sewer of ignorant or ill informed comments, this one appears to be no different. That some don't understand the difference between multinational and foreign owned is not surprising.

It’s like the unions saying that Transport For NSW privatising everything when it’s just basicly the day to day depot operations that end up being the only thing to get privatiseed

That’s not particularly true as when state transit was privatised people left from all departments. There are more than just day to day operations that gets affected during privatisation, but conversation is for another day.

[Swift]

With this model, the upsides of the old school private buses and State Transit are gone with only the downsides of each. The last family run contract holders are gone now so it's across the board instead of there being some hybrids.

[BAMBAM]

With this model, the upsides of the old school private buses and State Transit are gone with only the downsides of each. The last family run contract holders are gone now so it's across the board instead of there being some hybrids.

Busways are still family owned, they hold the crown for the last family run contract holders in Sydney.

[tonyp]

Don't see the need, the article is not suggesting that Kelsian is foreign owned, it is stating it is a multinational with examples of where it has operations, no innuendo but a statement of facts.

Online newspaper comment sections are usually a sewer of ignorant or ill informed comments, this one appears to be no different. That some don't understand the difference between multinational and foreign owned is not surprising.

Maybe the comments wouldn't be so ignorant if the Herald had done its job by presenting information honestly.

[Linto63]

Ignorant people will always make ignorant comments. Your insistence that the Herald is being dishonest is without foundation, whether the article's content is above the comprehension level of some of the readership is a different story.

[alleve]

Maybe the comments wouldn't be so ignorant if the Herald had done its job by presenting information honestly.

No chance. All newspaper comment sections are a cesspit. Looking for intelligent comments in a newspaper comment section is like looking for drinkable water in a sewer. Not gonna happen, doesn't matter what the Herald puts out.

Think about it like this - the people who leave comments in newspaper comment sections are the types of people who have the time and feel the need to leave comments in a newspaper comment section. What kind of person is that likely to be?

[tonyp]

No chance. All newspaper comment sections are a cesspit. Looking for intelligent comments in a newspaper comment section is like looking for drinkable water in a sewer. Not gonna happen, doesn't matter what the Herald puts out.

Think about it like this - the people who leave comments in newspaper comment sections are the types of people who have the time and feel the need to leave comments in a newspaper comment section. What kind of person is that likely to be?

In this case, somebody from this forum it seems. There's often somebody in comments on Herald transport articles who sets rhe record straight.

[Linto63]

I would image the same keyboard warriors who offered their pearls of wisdom yesterday, have probably done the same on an unrelated subject matter today and will do so on something unrelated tomorrow. The letters to the editor are a better barometer, they can still lack objectiveness by be written by one-eyed people, but at least they sometimes formulate an argument rather than just a one line hate post.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Transit Systems are running some 870-872 services out of Bradbury which is a good idea as it's close to Campbelltown hospital Macarthur square Campbelltown and Leumeah

[Stu]

The text below is from the article published by the SMH on the previous page. Possibly no research undertaken and simply republishing words that had been said by someone else or the possibility of purposely publishing the incorrect information of which the origin was from the current state government.

Transit Systems was awarded the contract for the routes this year by the former government on the eve of the state election,

[tonyp]

The text below is from the article published by the SMH on the previous page. Possibly no research undertaken and simply republishing words that had been said by someone else or the possibility of purposely publishing the incorrect information of which the origin was from the current state government.

Transit Systems was awarded the contract for the routes this year by the former government on the eve of the state election,

Innuendo is a great tool. They picked this up and uncritically regurgitated (as they do) the present Minister, a while ago, accusing the Coalition of rushing through decisions before the election, when those decisions were due to take place anyway.

[BAMBAM]

Region 2 buses that are based at Hoxton Park have decals on the front and back that says “SW”

Presumably this is transit systems ways of what buses will be allocated for respective regions.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Region 2 buses that are based at Hoxton Park have decals on the front and back that says “SW”

Presumably this is transit systems ways of what buses will be allocated for respective regions.

Didn't Transit Systems have the depot capacity at Smeaton Grange for the 23 region 2 buses that are based at Hoxton Park

[743]

Didn't Transit Systems have the depot capacity at Smeaton Grange for the 23 region 2 buses that are based at Hoxton Park

It might not be a matter of capacity. The dead run distance from Hoxton Park to places like Carnes Hill would be a fraction of what it is from Smeaton Grange. I would assume it is more efficient to run some of the northern Region 2 routes from a southern Region 3 depot.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I overheard the 2 way on Transit Systems O500LE Bustech VST m/o 5200 this afternoon it sounds like Transit Systems has set up a radio control room in region 2 drivers that I heard calling in addressed it as the OCC what does OCC stand for and is it a universal radio control room for Transit Systems to deal with 2 way traffic across all 3 of their Sydney contracts

[Randomness]

Operations Control Centre I’d guess. I think OCC is region based? I’ve never heard out of region buses/routes paged for traffic issues or driving limits.

[Stu]

I overheard the 2 way on Transit Systems O500LE Bustech VST m/o 5200 this afternoon it sounds like Transit Systems has set up a radio control room in region 2 drivers that I heard calling in addressed it as the OCC what does OCC stand for and is it a universal radio control room for Transit Systems to deal with 2 way traffic across all 3 of their Sydney contracts

The Region 3 Operations Control Centre is based at Bankstown Depot in the same room that Transdev operated it’s former OCC (different equipment). The R3 OCC is also responsible for radio communications with buses in Region 2.

[J_Busworth]

I overheard the 2 way on Transit Systems O500LE Bustech VST m/o 5200 this afternoon it sounds like Transit Systems has set up a radio control room in region 2 drivers that I heard calling in addressed it as the OCC what does OCC stand for and is it a universal radio control room for Transit Systems to deal with 2 way traffic across all 3 of their Sydney contracts

Many operators have a centralised Operations Control Centre. The OCC is the point of contact for all drivers on the road. In former STA regions, all contact via radio is via the OCC and drivers cannot contact other drivers. I'm not sure if this is the case in R2 or R3, but it wouldn't surprise me if TSA attempt to move to that model

[Fleet Lists]

https://www.theleader.com.au/story/8384 ... utherland/

Complaints about U-Go Mobility bus services have dropped by 92 per cent and cancellations to one per cent

U-Go Mobility took over services previously operated in St George and Sutherland Shire by the very experienced Punchbowl Bus Company and Transdev.
U-Go Mobility took over services previously operated in St George and Sutherland Shire by the very experienced Punchbowl Bus Company and
Transport Minister Jo Haylen says the new Region 10 bus operator U-Go Mobility had "more experience on the streets of Singapore than on the streets of Sutherland".

Ms Haylen gave an update in State Parliament this week on services in St George and Sutherland Shire in response to a question from Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart.

Ms Haylen said since a Transport for NSW team was deployed to assist the operator, complaints had dropped by 92 per cent and cancellations had dropped to one per cent.

Ms Haylen said the former government decided to privatise our local bus services to the lowest bidder.

"Our Bus Industry Taskforce found that those opposite ripped more than $375 million out in operational savings in that process," she said.

"But, they did not return any of that to the community, particularly for the growth needed for bus services in the growing communities of western and southwestern Sydney."

Ms Haylen said, on December 22 last year, a contract was awarded to a newly formed joint venture called U-Go Mobility, which transitioned into operating that service on July 1, 2023.

"It was an entity with absolutely no local experience, but those opposite awarded it a contract over a locally operated, long-term family business," she said.

"The new operator had more experience, to be frank, on the streets of Singapore than on the streets of Sutherland.

"And it showed, because within three weeks of the operation - the start of third [school] term, actually - it became clear that the operator had not secured the drivers that it needed to deliver the service that it was contracted to provide.

"Not only did the company fail to engage with its workforce but we also know that it failed to pay some of its drivers for shifts that they worked. No wonder we lost those essential bus drivers delivering that essential service. "

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman took a point of order, asking "Why did [Ms Haylen] do nothing for three months after the government was elected?"

[Fleet Lists]

And from the UGO facebook
Bus Drivers have an essential role in keeping the community moving and connected and U-Go Mobility want to see more women behind the wheel of our bus network.
Our new Women Behind the Wheel program aims to attract more women into the bus industry by empowering people from diverse work backgrounds with the right attitude and community focus to get behind the wheel.
You can apply on our website at www.u-gomobility.com …