Public transport advocates have welcomed the government's wide-ranging network changes, but are concerned a previously promised increase in weekend bus services will not eventuate.
The government on Tuesday announced changes to the city's bus network will come into effect from July 18, adding 690 daily bus services and cutting travel times for some commuters, particularly those in Tuggeranong.
However a timeline to fully reinstate all promised weekend services - cut due to driver shortages - remains unclear.
The government says it is still developing the full timetable after recruitment slowed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Public Transport Association of Canberra chair Ryan Hemsley said he was pleased to get a new date for the start of the network.
He said the changes made reflected feedback from the association and the general public.
"The frequency improvements are especially welcome," he said.
"We do still have some concerns about the frequency of weekend bus services ... One bus every two hours is not an acceptable level of service.
The government has come under intense scrutiny since Network 19 launched in April last year. The hub and spoke model slashed local buses in favour of rapid routes.
It promised a significant increase in weekend services, but was not able to deliver most of them.
The government was preparing to implement significant changes to the network in late April, but those plans were put on hold as commuters were forced off public transport amid the coronavirus shutdown.
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Tuggeranong Community Council president Jeffrey Bollard said the government had listened to community concerns.
"The information I'm seeing is they are hitting on those important points about total travel time and making sure the buses are connecting through and thinking about the number of changes people are having to make," he said.
The Transport Workers Union has previously hit out at the government for failing to hire enough drivers to staff an expanded weekday and weekend network.
Sub-branch secretary Klaus Pinkas said he was now confident there would be enough workers to provide increased weekend services later in the year.
"[Recruitment] slowed down over the last couple of months, but before that they were going gangbusters," he said.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Candice Burch said the Liberals would reinstate all school services and increase local services if elected.
"The increase in services is certainly a step in the right direction," she said.
"However it is important to remember the minister is only fixing a fraction of the problems that this government was responsible for creating.
"Canberrans have been waiting over 12 months now for the weekend network that they were actually promised."
