NEWCASTLE buses operator Keolis Downer has confirmed the daily and widespread cancellation of bus services, blaming the situation on a driver shortage and difficulties with recruitment following the COVID pandemic.
But the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said the situation was more complicated. It said Keolis Downer and other operators were making "commercial decisions" to cancel services based on the onerous conditions in their contracts with the State Government through Transport for NSW.
The Coalition announced a four-point plan on Monday to ease what it says is a state-wide shortage of bus drivers, with various incentives including free public transport to and from work for new and existing drivers.
The Newcastle Herald reported similar problems last year with the privately owned Hunter Valley Buses, which, like Keolis Downer, operates its vehicles on a state government contract.
Newcastle state MP Tim Crakanthorp said Keolis Downer had "prolonged and consistent issues with late and cancelled services', and that "having people continually left at bus stops and late for appointments is not good enough".
The union is also calling for a return of dedicated transport police, saying that safety concerns meant that drivers were told not to intervene whenever passengers boarded buses without tapping their Opal cards for payment.
Daily bus and train passenger Tobias Hudson of Wallsend, says he has counted as many as 180 cancelled services a week, and that buses scheduled to run every 15 minutes are sometimes an hour or more apart - as shown by official cancellations posted by Keolis Downer on various transport apps.
"It's bad enough during the day, but at night, when safety really is an issue, they have a duty of care to provide the service they are advertising but then cancelling," Mr Hudson said.
Rail Tram and Bus Union bus division secretary Dave Babineaux said yesterday that all of the private operators contracted to run government services in Sydney were having meeting the crucial "tier one key performance indicators (KPIs) in their contracts with Transport for NSW, which had financial penalties for non-compliance.
Mr Babineaux said a failure to properly police fare evasion meant that revenue had fallen well behind actual public transport patronage, especially on buses.
He said the union was working with Keolis Downer on conditions at the Charlestown shopping centre bus stop, a known "hot spot", and on services running out of Charlestown, which had a high incidence of anti-social behaviour, including non-payment of fares and vaping on the bus.
Mr Babineaux said the union had not put a ban on driving those routes, but things needed to improve quickly.
Transport for NSW said yesterday that addressing the shortage of drivers was a top priority for it and Keolis Downer.
"Like many organisations across Australia, Keolis Downer is experiencing the long-term workforce impacts of COVID-19 and is dealing with a nation-wide bus driver shortage," Transport for NSW said.
"Newcastle Transport is doing everything possible to overcome the driver shortage and maintain our normal timetables by encouraging more people to join the rewarding transport industry."
Transport for NSW said the plan to lift driver numbers including recruiting from interstate and overseas.
Keolis Downer's official patronage has been between 233,000 and 274,000 a month since July, but this includes the light rail.
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