Re: SOT - Solution to Westbus Problem?

["Glenn J-B" <grjb@ihug.com.au>]

Erk <erk@erkV69.au.com> wrote in message
3a278fed@news.iprimus.com.au">news:3a278fed@news.iprimus.com.au...
> According to the cover of The Daily Cynic, Westbus have a plan to solve
the
> problems that have been reported. They are:
>
> 40 new high capacity buses
> 25 new midibuses
> $8 million to rebuild Northmead and Bonnyrigg Depots
> Service review starting 1/1/2001
> Extra supervisory staff to monitor and respond to service complaints
> Improved mangement training.
>
> <cynic> I'm sure that will do the trick. That is like CityRail buying 40
new
> 4GT trains, rebuilding Flemo MC and having an internal talkfest between
> managers. </cynic>
>
> Methinks that Westbus is trying to compete (albeit unsuccessfully and with
> at least half of the services) with CityRail on selected routes. Routes
> where this occurs IMHO include:
>
> Hills - City (competing Epping - City)
> Penrith - St Marys
> St Marys - Mt Druitt
> Penrith - Liverpool
> Liverpool - Parramatta
> Parramatta - Blacktown
>
> I have seen over time many of these services running empty over long
> distances. They should concentrate on serving areas not well served by
rail
> and let CityRail do the station-station stuff. So to use the examples
above,
> none of these services would operate as listed. Instead:
>
>
>
> Hills - City would operate Hills - Epping or Parramatta only

<snip>

This is one route where, even though they are having problems at the moment,
it is one of the best things they have ever done.

Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill has been without government transport since
1932 when the railway line out here shut. From that time until April 1996 we
had to travel to Parramatta and change for the city.

The Hills - City express started as a Monday to Friday service running every
15 minutes in the peak and hourly in off-peak using 6 or so B10M coaches
carrying 53 passengers only. It now runs seven days a week, the peak service
run at least every five minutes, off-peak weekday frequency is 30 mins,
weekends hourly, and a fleet of around 40 buses each with a total capacity
of 80 passengers now run. Does this not demonstrate, albeit the apparent
short comings that we have read in the media, that the service is popular?
Why would I (or should I) want to or have to travel via Parramatta or Epping
and pay $60 a week in fares when the through bus to the city costs only
$52.20 and is 20 minutes faster? Why should I be denied a through service to
the city just because I don't live on a railway line?

You will probably find that when rail finally returns in 2010 (ha ha) that
the Hills - City will die off, unless or course they do something stupid and
put a surcharge on tickets. Then we can have a Airport Line revisited :-)