Busways Manager - Blacktown - Ready To Come On Board With Us

We, as a group are making head ways with bus operaters: from them treating us as 'cold ice' to providing complete information, warm friendly advice and most importantly joining forces together, all of us work towards a 'making a difference' within the  Mount Druitt community.

It is amazing a new manager, a new direction provide to us, a new type of relationship that will not divide us from the bus operaters but make us join in union for the betterment of our transport community.

Mr. Stephen Harper, Manager of Busways Blacktown deserves warm pat on the back as we develop a new type of relationship, that makes us proud of having well run bus services.What we don't realise is what behind the every day running to ensure that we are provided with an efficient, courteously driven bus services that ensures  complete safety for commuters as they reach the end of each of the end of their journeys. Mr. Harper has to carry a large load of responsibility on his shoulders; running a bus depot, ensuring there are enough bus drivers rostered to maintain bus services from Mount Druitt, Blacktown to Castle Hill, whilst resolving community issues, driver safety issues. 

This all has to be done by making sure New South Wales transport policies and guidelines are met  to respect to a bus operaters contract, whilst complying with all standards.

We respond to our story on: click here: 'New Bus Time Table Signs along Carlisle Avenue But No Time Tables! and advise that after speaking to Mr. Harper, we have a better understanding as to what is happening - there time table stands have been provide by The New South Wales Government via Transport New South Wales, to be maintained by Busways and this is firstly been implemented on the Busways 750 bus route - Mount Druitt to Blacktown via Richmond Road. Official time tables will be placed  in time table signs ready for use  in early 1/11.

Also a new ticketing machine is soon to be implemented in early next year TP5000 - it will make trips less time for wasting for change - My bus or My Multi tickets will be mostly bought before you enter the bus. allowing the bus driver more time to drive and get commuters better on to their destinations. The process of the electronic ticketing machine will be  a 'Tag on' and 'Tag Off'. Some training will be provided to drivers for the functioning of these machines - all-in-all a benefit to all. I didn't ask what the initial cost are to implement this new ticketing machine but obviously know it would be  done at a high cost but not to the Mount Druitt Community.

Refreshing your memory (if you have it), on our previous story: http://sobsmtdruittasa.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-news-for-save-our-bus-services.html

Here is an exert from it:

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Great News For Save Our Bus Services Mount Druitt And Surrounding Suburbs And The Community

There is another electronic future device being used called a 'transponder' - although it will not necessarily be noticed by the commuter it may increase the chance of a commuter hoping on a last arrived service reaching the destination a little bit improved or better. What is it - is an electronic device placed on all buses and when reaching traffic lights it will notice the arrival time of the bus and if running late will change the traffic lights to 'Green' and 'Go,go,go!' - completing reducing waiting time - unless their is a bus stop directly after the lights ( not usually).
We can now confirm that Busways are trialing this 750 bus service in early 1/2011. It will track the whereabouts of the bus and  confirmed if only buses run late it will try to place them back on time. It was confirmed it will not work for buses running early. Further feedback will be provided.