It Appears That Transport For NSW May Be Looking To Upgrade Mount Druitt Train Station....

The other week I spotted  two NSW for Transport officers at Mount Druitt train station checking out the train station and taking down details of the current train station.

They could have been engineers: One man was doing the measuring and description, whilst the other young man had a PC tablet and was being a 'walking secretary' as he was just typing up what ever the the man suggested.

Do you think it would be  good to  have Mount Druitt train station upgraded and updated?

Blacktown City Council Is Selling Land In front Of Bus Stops......

There is a political debate within Blacktown City Council local government area to sell pockets of vacant unused land, which is generally not used by the public, although is is used for access for the public, to be used personally as an exercise, short cut to access different streets and properties in the area.

There is only one pocket of land that Council is seeking to sell, which I think  is good for them to receive funds that I am aware of - I cannot speak for other pockets of land. Yet although this is used as a short cut to get to and from the bus stop, there are plans to close the lane-ways in-between houses in the area, which would benefit the purchaser.

The only negative aspect is there is a road overpass in front of it and vehicles can check the property out, even if  single or median dwellings are constructed for residential in the future.

This is the bus stop on the corner of Bulolo Road and Ellengowan Crescent, Whalan.

Here it is:

Add caption

Commuters In Mount Druitt Use Public Transport Buses To Do.....

Yes there are many things commuters do on public transport  that assists themselves with their daily lives. 

What I sometimes do discretely and secretly is comb my hair. Here is a commuter doing make up on a bus. Usually, I see this being done on train carriages.

Sydney Trains Transport Offier Gets Home Later With Buses In Mount Druitt!

There seems to be  missing buses on the 780 Busways  Timetable.
This has been provided to myself by a Transport Officer that works on Sydney Trains, does shift work and  used to get home early.

He was able to get a Busways bus service at around 10.30pm and now this bus service has been deleted/removed from the previous timetable. So we were told almost 12 months ago - no timetables will change, in fact there will be  more bus services - when Busways take over the complete NSW Bus Region 1, yet we have  a  bus service that has dropped from a half an hour service to an hourly service after about 9am.

So going forward  bus services are not catering for commuters that work late or come back from visiting late, we are now down to a hourly services after 9am, where it was a  half- hour bus service to a half-hourly.

What do you think about this?

Click Here for the Busways 780 Timetable

Blacktown City Council Invites Public Transport Issues to be Registered on Council's Website

Blacktown City Council is working with commuters, to try to be the 'Cog in the Wheel' and motivated important changes to public transport.

This is a new innovation which has implemented under their websites  dropdown box of  'Visiting Our City' and then Trans and Access around your city:

Click to Register You Public Transport Issue/Forum

Let us know if it is useful and  what response have you had from Council. This is important for all of us to fill in and return to them - hopefully a response will come!

Bus Shelter Disappears In Whalan - We Seek Answers!

Last weekend Anne, Vice-President of Mount  Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc. contacted myself and notified of the missing 'Bus Stop' at the corner of Waikanda Crescent and Luxford Roads Whalan.

This  is not the first time people of Mount Druitt have been taken away certain  Bus Shelter within the area of Mount Druitt ( refer to previous blogs).

Here is the previous blog on the bus stop at the corner of Waikanda Crescent and Luxford Roads Whalan:

http://mountdruittcommuters.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/bus-stop-2770194-needs-concrete-slab-to.html

And here are 2 ladies on last Sunday, using the shade of the tree 20-30 minutes up the road, whilst Blacktown City Council and Busways removed the shelter for no reason!

Click Here The Missing Bus Stop Video

Also find a video, where there is a young mother and her young baby, unable to shade the shade of the bus shelter and an elderly lady who can't sit down, standing with a cane, painfully.

And here is 2 ladies using the shade of the tree about 20 - 30 metres away from  where the bus stop is(they are in the  middle of the photo). This was an extremely hot day.

We do not want people to suffer when there  a bus shelter required and then removed.

No 'Shitty Trains' Required In Afternoon!

The other day I spoke to Santiago from Oakhurst, travels  by car to Mount Druitt Commuters Car Park and then by Sydney Trains to North Sydney.

'Shitty Trains' are available in summer on  very hot days and they are not comfortable journey's. This is caused by by 'stinky people' that don't look after their body odor  which affects his nose  (which is sensitive to smelling).

The morning train services are provided with new train carriages, with older train carriages in the afternoon, this is when he  tends to suffer with this condition - when you get a sudden putrid smell, this can cause further stress from the work you have carried out during the day as the train carriage becomes  uncomfortable, hot sweating & sticky.  

What is required is newer train services in the afternoon, which is important, with air circulating with air conditioning, rather than open windows bringing heat all throughout the journey, it makes you more refreshing especially if you are going to meet someone or  meeting more people!

Check out website for 'Shitty Rail'

Imagine If We Had 'Turn Up & Go Buses' In Mount Druitt?

Mount Druitt commuters how you you feel - if we had 'Turn up & Go Buses!' Well that is what is supposed to happen but as we  know, sometimes buses take time as commuters are preparing themselves to pay for fares and/or place prams in prams (inside the bus). Also ensuring little or no late or early running bus services.

Check this initiative from the NSW Government:

Future of Sydney Buses 'Turn Up & GO!'

Tell us your thoughts, especially we we do get 'Turn Up & Go Buses!'

NSW BUS REGION 1 - 'ON-TIME' BUS Services - ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THEM?

Here is a blog on Sydney Bus Region Bus services including Bus Region 1. It would be interesting if you provide some  feedback to us to let us know how you are going with your own time- tabled services. As you are the customer, commuter using these services, all comments appreciated!


Click Here for Sydney Bus Regions 'On Time' Bus Running Services

Busways Bus Service 674 Went Off-Track - Who Needs Training?

Imagine that you travel on your bus route and then you notice that the bus driver accidently over passes a turn to travel on the correct route. Well we know that everyone is not perfect and we all make mistakes but how does this happen when the bus driver was a training bus driver and had a trainer on the bus?

Personally, I can not answer this question bua female commuter from Whalan explained that a few weeks ago, it did happen as the bus was heading into Mount Druitt and as it past the the old Whalan High School. Somehow the bus turned around to head back into Gasmatta Crescent, Whalan to return to it's original journey!

So who needs the training?

New Time Tables Not Working For Busways - Solution Provided!

I have just recently heard from a transport spokesperson that Busways  bus drivers are finding it difficult to run to the new October 2013 time tables.

Basic reasons for this to occur, is  late running services and this is caused by many reasons: bus drivers not provided with a proper rest at the end of each trip,  commuters complaining, and also not having the right amount of fares and undeciding of whether they have to get on bus or not.

Keeping in mind these issues and remembering (from previous blogs) that bus drivers are allowed 30 seconds to pick up and drop at each bus  stop. If this time is over the time limit, it extends the time of the journey. This results in bus services not meeting with interchange timetables for other buses or any Sydney Trains. So Busways are  looking at contingency plans to counter this time table issue they are having. This is a  major KPI* on maintaining the contracts on NSW Bus Region 1 for the next 3-5 years.

Solution for this is very easy, in my aspect. When timetables are issued, they should be issued with a flexibility of times of arrival and depart. What does this mean, some of you are saying?

Well, up to now, NSW for Transport in the past have been providing timetables which commuters expect to be exact timetables, especially based on their  planned journey for the day. By allowing  say for example a '5 minutes flexibility time table' that means services can arrive 5 minutes before or after the designated 'Flexible Timetabled' times. Normally, commuters will arrive minutes before or just as the service is arriving.

By doing this, it takes off the pressure off from bus drivers, Management of Busways, NSW for Transport and there would need to be an educational process to be provided to each commuter (which will also result in less complaints) to worry about being late or early by 5 minutes! Commuters will need to have a better understanding rather than getting frustrated waiting for services.

The other suggestion, would be heading to the right way, providing extra bus services cutting down the waiting time and in itself promoting more people to become commuters, catching public transport buses!

What do think? It is a positive way of fixing Busways dilemma at the moment? Let us know your thoughts, ideas or feedback - this is important for everyone!

*Key Performance Indicator

Garbages Required For Sydney Trains

Jess from Kingswood travels from Kingswood to Parramatta on Sydney trains for study  and uses public transport to Blacktown and Glenwood.

For personal reasons he suggests that rubbish cans and food for eating should be thrown in garbages situated in train stations and inside train carriages. Cleanliness is a good thing. From a medical point of view every commuter should also be allowed to wash hands after eating and keep things clean - like most people do at home!

One very important fact for Sydney Trains, is that public transport security with using measures like cameras, is pretty much unheard of in India for their railways. These positive security measures are  great to the  Sydney Trains network!

More Security To Feel More Secure -Mount Druitt Commuter!

Just over a week ago Shireen from Mount Druitt travels from Mount Druitt to Parramatta and return using Sydney Trains.

Requires more security sometime to feel more secure anytime. There should be more security  patrolling more trains in each way  Shireen travels on trains. Would like to them patrolling at least 3 times per week: this would mean less hurt to people travelling at commuters and more people would be  encouraged to  catch more trains, therefor leaving less cars on the road.

Mount Druitt Bus - Spread 'Happy Christmas Cheers'

Decorated buses spread Christmas joy

• RYAN LIPMAN
• MT DRUITT-ST MARYS STANDARD
• DECEMBER 03, 2013 1:30PM

0

SHARE

expand

• Share on facebook
  
  

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

NEW! Discover news with your friends. Give it a try.
To get going, simply connect with your favourite social network:

Facebook

Busway driver Terry Hession has organised to decorate a number Christmas buses. Source: News Limited

TERRY Hession and his fellow Busway drivers are spreading the Christmas cheer around Mt Druitt with customised Christmas buses.

For the five weeks before Christmas, four buses are dressed up with Christmas decorations - three have lights and two even have Christmas trees.

Terry Hession with his Christmas-themed decorated bus. Source: News Limited

About eight years ago, Mr Hession, of St Clair, came up with the idea.

"I was feeling a bit down and out so I approached the manager about decorating the bus for Christmas and it's grown from there," Mr Hession said.

Three years later he decided the decorated buses would be ideal for collecting money at Nepean Hospital's children's ward.

This year Mr Hession said he hoped the buses raised about $1000. "Anything we give them (the children's ward) is more than they had," he said.

Mr Hession said passengers also got a buzz out of riding the decorated buses.

"You get a lot of people that get on and take photos with their mobiles," he said.

"They have bit of a laugh - young people and the elderly get the biggest enjoyment and kid's eyes light up when hey get one."

Despite the success of the decorated buses, Mr Hession said he had not gone as far as dressing up as Santa.

"I think it's too hot for a big red suit day in, day out," he said.

Extra Train Service Required at Doonside Train Station!

From Doonside Issa catches Sydney Trains from Doonside to Town Hall train station.

By  providing a Commuter Car Park at Doonside, there would more people jumping into or using public transport. Train timetables are still a problem. 7.36am trains service from Doonside is completely packed in the morning, leaving standing room only at Seven Hills (if lucky). Maybe add another train service in the middle of the following train services: 7.18am to 7.36am.

This would provide better train service to Donside trains commuters and place more people with comfort.

Commuter Left Standing - No One Gives Up Their Seats For The Elderly!

Brian from Whalan catches Sydney Trains from Mount Druitt to Central train stations claims from his experience Melbourne has train services every 5 minutes, better on time running service.

On one Sunday the train heading back to Mount Druitt was running 20 minutes late and then announcement was made at Central train station that there was a further waiting time of thirty minutes. By the the time the train arrived, it was chock-a-block full, his wife and himself got a seat.

Standing up on trains is an issue for him, more carriages or more train services required. He is over fifty years no one lets him sit down  or even his wife. Young ones should let him  and/or his wife sit down. Compulsory publicity should be provided by through the media. IT is just plain old common sense, when he was a kid he was giving seats up for the elderly.

More Space And Comfort In future Seating!

Bernard from Prospect, parks his car at Blacktown Commuter Car Park and then travels by Sydney Trains from Blacktown City trains station to Wynyard train station and  return - on weekdays.

His main improvement he would like  to see is improvement in carriages and  seating, it is sometimes so squeezy, tight and uncomfortable. In a three seater (In a carriage) he is caught in the middle of the seat, most of the time!

Now whenever there is  a redesign of carriages Transport for NSW  should at configurations of seating arrangement, allowing extra seating to have spacing between seats. This is so everyone feels O.K. with every seat they are sitting, leaving everyone with comfort.

Happy To Travel In 'Peaceful' Public Transport Country!

Siwa from Mount Druitt (originally from Sri Lanka), travels by Sydney Trains to Toongabbie and return.

Siwa arrived in Australia on a boat from Sri Lanka in Darwin, Northern Territory and was held for 15 days. He is very thankful to the Australian Government  for the provision of food, water, medical, sports activities and also English classes.

He is now  working as a cleaner and is seeking to extend his stay in Australia. He has left his country behind eighteen months ago, with one wife and 4 children: aged 18 16 14 and 9 (3 daughters and 1 son). He has lost his housing with flooding in Sri Lanka and  one of his daughters has been shot by men is his country. He does believe in 'Peace' not 'War-torn' Countries!

Thus he is so happy travelling in public transport in Australia in such a peaceful country!

More People Should Use Public Transport - Mount Druitt Commuter!

Prabha from Mount Druitt, walks 10-15 minutes to Mount Druitt train station from his home and then catches Sydney Trains from Mount Druitt to Parramatta and return on weekdays.

He  does see any improvements with using public transport as he says. 'All is good!' He is actually says train services have improved at Mount Druitt as there are more delivered services provided by the New train time table.

He says more people should be using public transport as it does cost less than using a private car. Yet he says no one can be forced to use public transport as it is an individual decision. Talking about public transport can among people can create  the individuals  people to chnage their mind and catch public transport.

Traffic Lights Required And Issues With Turn Around Times!

Bus drivers requires traffic lights to replace the round about outside  Mount Druitt Bus interchange.

It has been brought to my attention, by a Busways bus driver that the roundabout exiting and entering Mount Druitt bus interchange, is a hazard for bus drivers as they leave the Mount Druitt bus interchange, at North Parade, Mount Druitt. 'There have been so many near misses, in the time I have been a bus driver!' quoted the bus driver.

A recommendation is to replace with  traffic lights which will provide a safer way for drivers to exit the intersection

Although a lot of bus drivers are reserved by raising the issue at Busways Management in Glendinning, they feel that their request be not adhered too. At then end of the day there would be more than 30,000 cars & buses passing through the intersection and this is one the prerequisites for a traffic light to be installed there and approved.

H e and other Busways bus drivers are not happy with the 3-5 minute turn around time for the  end of each trip and  some drivers are speeding over the required limit to catch up with time table as  the bus stops and this is added to the travelling time. He said of the buses being more than 5 minutes late, there is no chance for a break for the bus driver!

Maybe this could be looked into by NSW for Transport, to ensure bus drivers are getting their required  breaks after trips are completed!

Doonside Commuter Passionate About New Train Time Tables For Doonside & Rooty Hill Train Stations!

The new  Sydney Trains time table, launched last month has made a Doonside commuter so passionate about caring for commuters at Doonside and Rooty Hill. He uses  Sydney Train services from Doonside to Parramatta and North Sydney pending on job requirements. Also his daughter travels to North Sydney Monday to Fridays to work - so he advised the improvement he is seeking for for is also represented by his daughter as well.

New time tables for Doonside/Rooty Hill train stations have not improved and met population  increase over the last 20 years, except than placing back time tables by 5 minutes, whilst  more trains are stopping  at major train stations like Mount Druitt and Blacktown.

Examples are previously 7.07 am train leaving Doonside, now time tabled  to leave 7.12 am or 7.37 and now time tabled 7.37 am. There has been no consultation or survey done to ask commuters or commuters providing suggestions at Doonside or Rooty Hill train stations.

Trains leaving 7.23 am and 7.46 am are not patrolled.

In Doonside the population has tripled in the last twenty years incorporating new suburbs like Glendinning,Woodstock, Dean Park and Bunya, new housing estates. Significantly compared to Marayong area this area has a stable population and they have increased services.

Fast trains in from Mount Druitt are running  half empty and have lots of seats and standing room in peak hour in the weekday mornings.

Patrolling by Safety/ Security Officers show issues are present: children taking seats and not allowing elderly to sit - this needs to be solved by Transport for NSW to provide education programs to children at school so they under of being courteous to others requiring seating.

He has been writing to Blacktown City Council for a Commuter Car Park for Doonside - the only thing hold this up is available land for this improvement to happen this will cater for the increase of future population.

He says if the real time tables are fixed for Doonside and Rooty Hill. 7.42 am from  Doonside to North Sydney is  is 5 minutes late when it reaches Mc Mahons Point. No one is doing  something  in Doonside and he is taking great interest.

Off-Peak Train Services - Require More Security On Journeys!

Just on a week ago, I met Rick who is moving with his wife  from Doonside to Ropes Crossing - catches  Busways bus 750 and 761 to Doonside from Mount Druitt, also Sydney trains to Doonside and Penrith.

With trains he finds a lot of people are doing anti-social  behaviors: like shouting and making trains dirty on off-peak times. He would like to see more improvements in these areas by expressing comments and concerns (like providing information to myself, so I can publish more blogs), which the NSW Government and Public transport stake holders take note and provide further improvements.

He has notice the the new train carriages that he has been travelling on, are quite comfortable but hardly any safety/security officers are present so far to be seen on these journeys.

In other countries if you are caught vandalising trains, you have to financially pay for the damage. There is no deterrent to kerb bad behaviour and things like that happening , except  to pay for it!
If these are fixed there will be  more commuters catching trains.

Busways 758 became Busways 755!!!

This could be a sign for the future! This evening I experience a Busways 758, mistakenly turn left into Bulolo Drive, Whalan.

What is special about this is we are looking at extra 755 bus services to reach to Shalvey and this action supports it.

Commuters on the back of the bus were relaxed and  notified the bus driver nicely. He reversed the bus carefully back into Belmore Road, with the help of  all commuters who had told him, when it was clear to reverse into  Belmore Road. 

What was so good every was pleased the bus driver had done this and then travelling back onto Belmore  Road and  then into Woodstock Roads.

A lady, 'Thanked' the bus driver as she left the bus and later commented to myself as how all  people on the bus were well behaved as sometime people can become upset. I checked how the driver was and said, 'We are all not perfect!'

Lost Bus Driver Drops Off Commuter!

A St Clair commuter Jeanette  had told myself of why has happened on a recent bus trip, since the new time tables have been put in place. a friend of hers told her.

There were bus commuters, one day, that travelling from Penrith through to Cambridge Park  and then went off-route to streets where the bus was not suppose to go. Commuters on the bus advised him of this error and took commuters to Werrington shops, then commuters were asked to get off the bus and walk to the train station.

It appeared that the bus driver was confused and  may have been stressed for taking commuters to the wrong street. Maybe he needed time out - I'm not sure how commuters treated the bus driver, yet I would have treated him with extreme calm respect!

Editors Notes:  Do Busways properly train  bus drivers on each individual  bus route for new bus drivers or are they expected to study the routes and  take commuters around. I do know they  are training them on routes in one 2 days - bus does it cover all routes in  NSW Bus Region 1

Busways Bus Driver With Early Morning Depot Issues!

I have just heard of something that is creating issues for Busways bus drivers picking up buses in Glendinning Bus depot.

Not Busways Glendinning Depot  -
yet it is a State Transit Depot

So although we see traffic jams with buses in Mount Druitt bus interchange, bus upon bus driver waiting for moments for a bus to move and allow the other bus to pass. This is is just a start to chaos that is presented to bus drivers at Glendinning bus depot.

When bus drivers arrive early in the morning to pick up buses. they are not designated the buses in the front of the depot, they are sometimes designated buses 4 or 5 buses behind the front of the first depot.  So that means buses cannot leave early to commence their trips, they have to wait for other bus drivers to move out 4-5 buses before they are ready to commence their trips.

This can cause delays. Have you been waiting early in the morning and your bus has arrived late? Let us know of any story you have that the world needs to know.