'People Power' Win For The Community - Save Our Bus Services - Mount Druitt And Surrounding Suburbs

Today, the people of Mount Druitt have fought a long and hard battle by themselves to have one service that was a major service retuirn with minor adjustments. This will be a great service, especially that if covers quite a few streets that bus services were removed from. Although this is one bus service we will not give up with others - we will assess the service 2-3 weeks after. Obtain feedback from our group and push forward for left over servivces that need to be restored that were removed.

Al lot of people said we will never get the buses back the NSW Government will not listen to us - I think it has been everything that that got the buses back from petitions, to videos made, to 3 Community Meeting held and about 4-5 group meetings held.

We are unable to place a copy of the proposed bus route may but should you require one - e-mail us and we will porovide to yourself within 24 hours or contact Busways.

Oh, I thought I'd say the Gasmatta residents will be happy as well - they were on the ones worse affected!

We now provide the letter received by us From the NSW Minister of Transport:

Dear Debbie,

In response to the concerns of your local Members of Parliament, Allan Shearan and Richard Amery, and following a meeting with yourself and other community members on the 28 January, I am writing to let you know that improvements will be made to bus services in your area from 1 March 2010.

As I communicated at our meeting, changes to a number of bus routes were made to benefit the majority of people in the community, and to attract more people to public transport. Whilst several concerns were responded to immediately, after representations from Allan Shearan and Richard Amery, at our recent meeting I made a commitment to look into a number of other outstanding issues.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure has worked with Busways and Westbus to look at the concerns of local residents. The largest areas of community concern appear to be the loss of connections previously provided on the 755, a decreased level of service in Bulolo Drive itself, the removal of some services from Sedgman Drive due to safety concerns from drivers, and walking distances in Gasmata Cres.

I am pleased to inform you that from 1 March 2010 the 755 will be restored to many of the areas where long standing links had been broken. The 755 will run along its old route between Luxford Road at Shalvey and Mount Druitt with the following frequencies:

Weekdays: 5 am to 10 pm, with a bus every half an hour between 6 am and 8 pm, and every hour at other times;

Saturdays: 6 am to 8 pm, with a service every half an hour between 9 am and 5 pm and every hour at other times; and

Sundays: hourly between 9 am and 5 pm.

Between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday to Saturday, every second trip will be extended from Luxford Road at Shalvey to Plumpton Marketplace.

The new service will restore links to Emerton Village and provide a frequent bus service to Bulolo Drive. For workers needing to travel before 5 am alternative services are available in many of the same streets, or very nearby, on routes 750, 758 and 759.

Manifold Road and Middleton Crescent, which used to be served by the 762, will also have services restored by Route 755.

We have also approved a re-diversion of Route 674 down Gasmata Crescent, pending confirmation from Westbus that the previous safety concerns of drivers have been addressed. This route would operate all trips via Gasmata Crescent, except for one trip in the morning in each direction on school days, when it is needed to make diversions to schools along its route.

New timetables will be available before these services commence.

It is intended to restore services to residents at the western end of Sedgman Crescent once safety concerns for passengers and drivers are resolved. I understand that Busways and Blacktown Council are working together to improve lighting and the pedestrian underpasses to allow bus services back into this end of Sedgman Crescent. In the meantime, residents at the western end of Sedgman Crescent and surrounding streets can catch the 758, which runs every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays at Luxford Road, Emerson Street or at the eastern end of Sedgman Crescent.

I thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention, both individually and through your local Members of Parliament. If you require further information about these changes, I invite you to contact Busways Customer Service on (02) 9625 8900.

Yours sincerely





David Campbell MP
Minister for Transport and Roads