Westbus Time Keepers Checking Out The New Running Time Tables - 2 Officers!

Two days ago West bus Time Keepers (2 of them) needed to check the time running of their bus services and bus drivers. It appears they are checking to see if the release of the new region 1 West bus time tables are running to better time tables - next day not there!!!!

Mount Druitt High School Children Stuck In Lifts - Mount Druitt Bus Interchange

About 2 - 3 days ago - I noticed  about a half a dozen police officers outside  the top lifts in the Mount Druitt bus interchange. They were talking  to 2 high school children who were caught in the lift ( taking you down to the Westbus bus stands), unable to get out - I have heard this happening  happening a little bit.

Eventually the Fire Brigade from Dunheved came to rescue the children - I tried to get  clear shots of photos - see if you can see them!

Blacktown Virgin Train Commuter Requires More Express Trains!

Manish from Blacktown uses City Rail trains return to Town Hall from Blacktown, Monday to Friday.

He use to travel to the City by car for about a year but has found it expensive to do and has only been travelling  since early in the month and is so glad to travel on trains!

He would like to see more express trains which he claims  is every 1/2 hour increased to every 15 minutes from Blacktown to the city and return. He also understands that that would  mean more train driver and trains  to run on the tracks. By making this improvement, this would make his journey more comfortable and having a better lifestyle. He told myself of his first day catching trains earlier this month, he wasn't sure which train to get, so he ended getting an all stations train to the city and soon discovered express trains were an improvement for himself!

Public Transport ABS Figures Comparison from 2006 to 2011 - Mount Druitt Postcode 2770

From the information provided from the Australian Bureau of Statistics you can see a noticeable difference in Public Transport trains approx. over 10 percent increase) &  buses  nearly a 30 percent increase, using one method and with train and bus  two way method over 10 per cent increase and a close to 15  percent decrease in taxi commuters. Interesting facts - Does this mean we will get more services, with the increase? Yet there are a lot of community members using cars, who if we have the top public transport system, would leave there cars at home  use public transport, save money and waste fuel and fuel costs! AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS  2006 Census of Population and Housing List of tables Postal Area (2770) 43.6 sq. Kms Concepts and Definitions Census Dictionary B45 METHOD OF TRAVEL TO WORK BY SEX  Census Data Quality Statement Count of employed persons aged 15 years and over © Commonwealth of Australia 2007 Based on place of usual residence Males Females Persons One method: Train 672 752 1,424 Bus 98 125 223 Ferry  0 0 0 Tram (includes light rail) 0 8 8 Taxi 31 24 55 Car, as driver 6,520 3,994 10,514 Car, as passenger 872 850 1,722 Truck 370 8 378 Motorbike/scooter 75 4 79 Bicycle 66 6 72 Other 42 11 53 Walked only 136 238 374 Total one method 8,882 6,020 14,902 Two methods: Train and: Bus 256 327 583 Ferry  0 0 0 Tram (includes light rail) 3 0 3 Car, as driver 96 114 210 Car, as passenger 55 127 182 Other 14 14 28 Total 424 582 1,006 Bus and: Ferry  0 0 0 Tram (includes light rail) 0 0 0 Car, as driver 0 3 3 Car, as passenger 15 6 21 Other 0 8 8 Total 15 17 32 Other two methods 45 22 67 Total two methods 484 621 1,105 Three methods: Train and two other methods 69 78 147 Bus and two other methods (excludes train) 3 4 7 Other three methods 0 0 0 Total three methods 72 82 154 Worked at home 93 135 228 Did not go to work 691 978 1,669 Method of travel to work not stated 335 256 591 Total 10,557 8,092 18,649 AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS  2011 Census of Population and Housing			List of tables
2770, NSW (POA2770) 24.7 sq Kms			Find out more:
			Method of Travel to Work
B46 METHOD OF TRAVEL TO WORK BY SEX			Sex
Count of employed persons aged 15 years and over
	Males	Females	Persons
One method:
Train	783	797	1,580
Bus	131	157	288
Ferry	0	3	3
Tram (includes light rail)	0	3	3
Taxi	31	9	40
Car, as driver	7,118	4,558	11,676
Car, as passenger	854	795	1,649
Truck	308	5	313
Motorbike/scooter	93	0	93
Bicycle	62	5	67
Other	63	25	88
Walked only	132	204	336
Total one method	9,575	6,561	16,136
Two methods:
Train and:
Bus	304	359	663
Ferry	3	0	3
Tram (includes light rail)	3	4	7
Car, as driver	129	119	248
Car, as passenger	54	110	164
Other	17	0	17
Total	510	592	1,102
Bus and:
Ferry	0	0	0
Tram (includes light rail)	0	0	0
Car, as driver	4	6	10
Car, as passenger	14	11	25
Other	4	3	7
Total	22	20	42
Other two methods	67	26	93
Total two methods	599	638	1,237
Three methods:
Train and two other methods	95	99	194
Bus and two other methods (excludes train)	0	0	0
Other three methods	3	3	6
Total three methods	98	102	200
Worked at home	91	153	244
Did not go to work	638	953	1,591
Method of travel to work not stated	314	230	544
Total	11,315	8,637	19,952
This table is based on place of usual residence.

Busways Way Of Promoting Public Transport - I Like It!

We don't normally like reading posters/signs unless it has a fantastic striking affect - I first thought it was a drop of blood impression for the background!

When I had seen this I thought it was brilliant - this is what WSPTU and our local group want as well!

On-Time Running and Overcrowded Trains - Q & A State Parliament - Richard Amery MP Mount Druitt!

This supports what commuters I have interviewed in  over the past year and I don't think can be fixed straight away, it may take time:

  

Legislative Assembly

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES

(HANSARD)

PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

                                     MOTION ACCORDED PRIORITY

                                         Speech by Richard Amery MP

                                           Member for Mount Druitt

Tuesday, 20^th November 2012

FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT

-  2  - 

Mr RICHARD AMERY (Mount Druitt) [3.55 p.m.]: I join the member for Keira in opposing this nonsense motion. Two government backbenchers spoke to a motion congratulating their Government on delivering better transport for the residents of New South Wales. But the motion begs the question: Where are the improvements? I turn to the contributions of those members who spoke on behalf of the Government.

The member for Londonderry, who moved the motion, had five minutes to outline why the Government should be congratulated on its improvements to transport. I can advise the House that for four minutes and 20 seconds he made various exaggerated claims about the former Government. He had five minutes to put his case and for four minutes and 20 seconds he waffled on, rehashing the past 18 months of attacks on the former Government by the Minister for Transport.

In the last 40 seconds he switched to arguing why the Government should be congratulated, and then used the last 10 seconds talking about his service as a helicopter pilot. Obviously flying a helicopter shakes a few things loose. That was evident from the member's speech today as it obviously shook up his memory.

The member for Londonderry asked where I was when meetings were held in Mount Druitt. I can answer that question: I was sitting alongside him, together with the member for Hawkesbury, who was also present.

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! I advise the member for Mount Druitt that he has one minute in which to conclude his contribution.

Mr RICHARD AMERY: The member for Castle Hill gave three key reasons for congratulating the Government: consultation, plans and drilling. I want to know how many passengers are carried by consultation, plans and drilling. The answer is nil. He said the Government should be congratulated because it is delivering services. That is rhetoric; there is no detail.

Previous governments made many changes to bus services in western Sydney. Have they been reversed by this Government? No. Those opposite talk about plans and new bus services. But train on-time running is worse now than when they inherited the service. We met international benchmarks but this Government has dirtier trains that run slower.

It is cramming people onto overcrowded trains, and if its new sheriffs cannot get the passengers into the carriage they leave them on the platform. Those opposite want to be congratulated? They have got to be joking.

************

Mount Druitt Free Shuttle Questions To State Parliament - Richard Amery!

Here is the  copy from Hansard  provided to us by Richard Amery, Member for Mount Druitt:

PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

2012

                                                                   FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT

_________

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

No 128

20^th November 2012

___________

 

3063—FREE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE

 

Mr Richard Amery to the Minister for Transport—

1. How many free shuttle bus services are funded by the NSW Government?
2. Where are each of these services and what are the name and number of each service?
3. Of the services mentioned in question (2) above, when did each of these services commence?
4. Is the Minister aware of calls by the Mount Druitt community through the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc for the establishment of a free shuttle bus service for this district?
5. What is the present position for the introduction of such a service for Mount Druitt?

Answer—

I am advised:

1. to (5) Details of bus services operated under contract to Transport for NSW are available at
   www.131500.info
   The Government has no plans to introduce a free shuttle bus for Mount Druitt.

---

Question asked on 24 October 2012 (session 55-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 123.
Answer received on 20 November 2012 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 128.

High Turn Around Of Bus Drivers - Does That Affect Time Tables?

Is this question true? When I look at the last 22 years, 20 years and even 10 years - there doesn't seem to be many bus drivers that have long service with Westbus or Busways.

Bus driving itself, is an important job that is required to be done to make the community have with continual bus time tabled services. I suppose that one thing I am pleased is that Bus Operators are able to ensure there are bus drivers fulfilling time tables. That in itself  may be difficult. Yet when you speak to bus drivers - some could be overqualified and others will be quite satisfied to  even have a paid job and there will the the rest that are using the job as a landing pad to other jobs in other industries.

Take my father (rest his soul), he came to the country as a professional tailor, yet he couldn't get a professional job in Australia as well as a professional tailor. He was also a truck driver in the NSW timber industry and work fixing roads  with gangs of men! Then the Conductor  job on a tram got his his career job as a bus driver and then Bus Inspector Third Class. I really respect his jobs and how he got to retirement - he was well respected at Waverley Bus Depot! Sorry got carried away!

So I think Bus Operators have to look at ways of keeping their workers and keeping them happy , so they provide good long service and this will not affect  bus time tables in a negative way!

Whalan Shops New Bus Stop Has New Bus Shelter!

This is great! Blacktown Council Officers and Councillors have not only moved the bus stop from it's previous position, to the front of the Whalan shops. A modern upgraded bus shelter ( although graffiti artists have attacked it so quickly) which allows for  commuters using wheel chairs and  or prams space for that under the bus  shelter.

Now we have some modern local shops and also a modern bus shelter!

Check Out How A Bus Shelter Is Removed - It Took Minutes!

Mount Druitt is having a change of face with bus shelters- the old expression 'Out with the Old - In with the new!'

Opposite the Mount Druitt Train Station - at Mount Druitt South - here is the video that shows you how bus stops are removed;

And then I had seen the new Bus Shelter ready to be installed!

Westbus Bus Drivers Are Worried If they Lose Their Work Conditions: Years Of service, Sick Leave Entitlement Saved, Etc

Yes, bus drivers are talking of the New Bus Region 1 Contracts - although discussions do not really concern us, it concerns their life  and possibly how they perform their job.

Westbus bus drivers are worried of their entitlements not  being lost. That is  accrued sick leave, long service leave and also seniority ranking! I'm sure this is dealt with within the Bus Region 1 contracts between Transport for NSW, Ministry of Transport and  Busways to handle this this in a professional manner that will not create any upheaval and disturbance to  our future time tables.

On the good point Westbus bus drivers who live in  the Mount Druitt to Blacktown area , may be able to request to perform their duties in routes in this areas and also Busways bus driver who may live out west of Mount Druitt may be able to perform their duties of service  from west of mount Druitt!

Click Here for previous Bus Region 1 Contracts

Check The Moving Doors On Trains!

I know City Rail do their best to maintain trains by cleaning and ensuring that all works well. Maybe this happened after checking or it slipped through their maintenance - This happened within the last 2 weeks in the morning!

What People Hand Out Just Outside of Train Stations!

A white ribbon was handed to me by a woman who is very passionate of 'Violence against women' (and children she added) just outside Mount Druitt train station - here it is. I have been wearing it proudly ever since been given this on last Friday

Click Here For Details On 'White Ribbon' Day!

Bus Honking - Mount Druitt!

Amazing, we think bus drivers sometimes get upset with commuters, imagine if words were used  instead of Honking in this video: