Bring back the 272 Willoughby Wynyard bus service

In early 2022 bus services in the former State Transit Sydney Area 7 were privatised to Busways. In the runup to privatisation, several bus services operating on Willoughby Rd were cancelled including the 340, 343, 257 and 272. This occurred despite the services being mentioned in the traffic report for a large nearby 460-unit development on the former Channel 9 site. After cancelling these services the government went ahead and approved the development which contains several units without car parking.

Nearly one year into the privatisation the situation for former 272 commuters in the peak hours is now quite dire. Under privatisation drivers have fewer benefits and earn less than those employed by State transit. There is now a shortage of over 100 drivers at the Willoughby Depot leaving 200 drivers to do their best to cover the schedule reduced in the run-up to privatisation. Today so many services are cancelled at the last minute that folk are frequently unable to board a bus in peak hour and regularly need to book ubers or arrange for friends and relatives to drive them into the CBD.

In early 2022 I appeared as a witness at the enquiry into bus privatisation where I detailed the plight of my fellow commuters and heard government members' acknowledgement that the situation was unacceptable yet despite, multiple petitions and very positive meetings with the Member for Willoughby the honourable Tim James we are yet to see any attempt made by Transport for NSW to rectify the situation. Since then an additional 3 badly needed peak our services have been removed from the timetable.

Late in 2022 the government, in its response to the bus Privatisation Inquiry, made it clear that they have no intention of doing anything to restore the bus services judging by their claim.

"Improved customer outcomes are being delivered with the engagement of leading national and international bus operators."

I have concluded that the NSW government has now washed its hands of the responsibility of providing good public transport (bus) services in South Willoughby and that if we want good peak-hour services we will need to provide them ourselves.

I have set up this fundraiser to allow affected commuters to work together and do just that. Funds will be quarantined in a bank account, bus hire companies have been contacted and as soon as we have the money available we will start scheduling free pirate bus services on the old 272 route. We will link this fundraiser with a QR code which will be available for scanning upon entry to the bus.