Hundreds of additional bus services will be available over summer to ensure Sydneysiders and tourists are able to travel to some of the State’s most iconic beaches.
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said almost 300 additional services had been added to the timetable this summer so local commuters and tourists were able to enjoy a hassle-free trip to the eastern suburbs.
“Bondi, Coogee and other surrounding beaches are extremely popular tourist destinations and as Sydneysiders flock to the beach, the additional services are required to meet the summertime demand,” Mr Elliott said.
“The additional services provide commuters with a lot more options to ensure they can not only travel to appointments, entertainment venues, shopping and of course popular eastern suburbs beaches but also eases traffic congestion and parking issues.”
Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said these additional 280 weekly bus services each summer are a great boost for local residents who travel between Bondi Beach and Rose Bay.
“These extra services will make it easier to travel between our iconic Bondi Beach during the peak summer season and Rose Bay Ferry Wharf where you can catch a ferry into the city.
“The services will be added to the existing 362 bus route connecting Sydney’s eastern beaches between Coogee and Rose Bay. Over the summer, services will run every 30 minutes, seven days a week until Thursday 26 January 2023,” Ms Upton said.
Mr Elliott said public transport patronage had soared across all modes of public transport as Sydneysiders geared up for a blockbuster summer of major events.
“Sydney commuters have again started to embrace public transport with the Sydney Light Rail network leading the way recording more than four million trips over two months,” he said.
“Public transport use across Greater Sydney was rebounding with patronage at 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on weekends and 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays.
“The Sydney Light Rail network has been a standout with the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford light rail lines hitting record patronage this year exceeding two million trips per month for September and October – proving light rail makes light work of crowds at the Moore Park Entertainment Quarter,”
Ferries were the strongest performer by mode during November 2022, returning to 98 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on weekends and 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays.
Buses are at 73 per cent of pre-pandemic levels while rail, including Metro, continues to be the most popular mode with about 873,000 average daily trips taken on weekdays.
