North West Rail Link and Update On Opal Cards Being Introduced To 5 State Transit Buses!

What's happening in our state   AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROJECT POWERING AHEAD NSW Premier Mike Baird has inspected the progress of construction on the North West Rail Link and received a briefing on the $8.3 billion project. The North West Rail Link is Australia’s biggest public transport project and this vital piece of infrastructure will create thousands of jobs and improve the lives of commuters in Sydney’s North West. This crucial project is proceeding rapidly and the first of the four massive tunnel boring machines are due in the ground by October this year – ahead of an end-of-year commitment. At the Cherrybrook railway station site, work is well underway to excavate the “box” area, from which two tunnel boring machines will dig six kilometres to Epping. The tunnelling contract alone will support about 900 jobs. OPAL ROLLOUT EXPANDS TO BUSES IN SYDNEY’S EAST  Opal electronic ticketing will start rolling out on State Transit buses, with five bus routes in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to join the Opal network from Monday 28 April. The NSW Government successfully fast-tracked Opal on all Sydney Ferries services and 308 Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink stations, and is now turning its attention to buses. Five bus routes, 326, 327, 355, 361 and L24, will go-live with Opal over a two-week period from Monday. Customers can already use their Opal card on route 333, which was the first State Transit bus to go live with Opal as part of a customer trial. To find ticket sellers, customers should call 131 500 or visit www.transportnsw.info. To order an Adult or Child/Youth card go to www.opal.com.au or call 13 67 25.

Checkout Solution to Busways 674 Bus Drivers Access, Moresby Crescent Whalan - & Shortchanged with Bus Stop Issue, As Well!

Clich here: Whalan Bus Access Issues And Bus Stop Short Supplied To The Community!

In Mount Druitt Not Many Commuters Using The Opal Card As Yet But......

Speaking to a Transport offer from Sydney Trains, it appears there is a low usage of commuters using the Opal Card, that was launched recently.

This may be attributed to a few things: that there really wasn't a great publicity campaign on the day of the launch at Mount Druitt to promote commuters to use it - I had only witnessed one person handing information flyers. Also a lot of commuters use buses and are waiting for the launch of the expansion of the Opal Cards to buses later on this year.  Lastly there are a lot of people that may not be even aware of it being available!

Again , it all goes back to adverting in the TV Media. and  with the printing press - NSW Government should consider this!

Small Manufactured Buses To Provide More Efficient BUs Services on Time Tables!

Vijay from Kingswood catches Sydney Trains from Kingswood to either Blacktown, Seven Hills or Parramatta and then transfers to catch either the T64, T70 or 715 bus service to Castle hill to reach work.

He would like the NSW Government to allocate smaller type of buses on these services as sometimes he his travelling alone. This will produce less number of seats to sit down, services would then maintained or extra efficient bus services could be introduced into the table and thus this will reduce the ultimate costs of paying for  new buses.

He remembers when Westbus had the 'Nipper Services'- they were smaller  manufactured buses  running around the area. This idea could catch on he said.

NSW State Government RE- Free Shuttle Buses - Our Group Is Quoted Again - Good For The Area

Thanks to The Hon. Member of Mount Druitt, Mr. Richard Amery, who keeps myself, group, the Mount Druitt community and its wider community information of debates and discussions that are concerning the community in relation to public transport.

On the 6th March 2014, a debate was raised by the NSW State Opposition, to introduce or reintroduce bus services, the debate was lost, yet our group  was mentioned (as I am proud to say) by the Hon. Member for Mount Druitt, Mr. Richard Amery and this shows that our advocacy for improvements in public transport is being heard.

Here is the entire transcript from NSW Government's hazard 6th March 2014:

Click Here for the transcript

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!'

I Search ....And Was Found By The NSW State MLC Member, Penny Sharpe!

Here I was reaching Mount Druitt train station vestibule area and no Honorary, Penny Sharpe NSW Member Legislative Council, Shadow Minister/Spokesperson for Transport, after referring to Mount Druitt - St Marys Standard article: Click here for previous article!

So here I was collected one signature on the top of the escalators and this young lady listened to me and then said politely. ' I can't sign the Mount Druitt Shuttle bus petition as politicians have to be the last ones to sign them'. It didn't hit me straight away, until she mentioned her name 'Penny Sharpe'.

Well I nearly fell over myself, she was like an ordinary Mount Druitt person. I apologised for my rudeness and started to explain  our bus shuttle petition. Before I reached the Kurrajong, as I indicated where the route was going, she stated ' Great linkage' - Wow. I thought to myself, she has come hear for a different issue, yet she is very impressed with our bus shuttle petition. 

A  powerful statement that M/s Sharpe had said  to me stunned myself. It was that, 'It is good to have a website where people can have their say on public transport and finds the Mount Druitt blogspot interesting!'

We shared common goals, even on the safety on City Rail trains and she was happy to hear that about 4-5 members of our group may be attending the Hub Meeting on the 2/5/13.