Missing link for Bondi buses

By Linda Hoang

A new On Demand bus service will commence in the Inner Eastern suburbs between Rose Bay Ferry Wharf and North Bondi.

Waverley Council Mayor, John Wakefield, said “As a Council we’ve been calling for the reinstatement of the Bondi to Rose Bay Ferry service for five years, so we welcome the introduction of new services, but they need to be balanced against the cut made to existing and older services.”

On Friday 17 August the existing Ride Plus pilot service will cease, and starting from 6am Monday 20 August the new BRIDJ bus route will begin operations.

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is collecting data from eleven trials of On Demand Transport services in Sydney, Newcastle and the Illawarra to determine what improvements need to be made to delivery of transport services across the regions.

The Ride Plus commenced in November 2017 as a pilot of NSW Government’s On Demand Transport Pilot Program and was available to residents from Vaucluse, Double Bay, Bondi Junction, Edgecliff, Bellevue Hill, Tamarama, Point Piper and Woollahra.

“From day one of the On Demand Transport pilot program, the overarching objective has been to trial different service models that provide greater flexibility and mobility for customers,” said Felicity Nethery from Transport for NSW.

“After reviewing On Demand services in the Eastern Suburbs we’ve decided to trial a different service delivery model to target new connections to and from Rose Bay Ferry Wharf from Bondi, North Bondi and Dover Heights,” she said.

The BRIDJ pilot will provide connections for local residents and international visitors and is estimated to save commuters up to half an hour of travel time.

Commuters can book and pay for a ride through the BRIDJ phone app with buses seating up to sixteen customers each trip, and will run during peak time on weekday mornings and afternoons and throughout the whole day on weekends.

A single trip will cost commuters $3.10 for an adult fare and $1.50 for a concession fare with the option of paying with OpalPay or credit card through the app.

“We have already introduced a range of changes to some pilots including new fare structures, expanded service areas and additional vehicles,” said the Ms Nethery.

A BRIDJ statement said the shorter travel times and fares are “especially relevant when you consider there is no traffic on the water and the bonus is the scenery.”

The Inner East on demand route will help deliver a more targeted transport connection from the East to Circular Quay, Barangaroo and North Sydney.

“When I hear the word targeted it rings alarm bells to me. We welcome that peak period demand but it doesn’t satisfy people during the day or from the areas outside the service,” said Mayor Wakefield.

“We have a state government that’s cut one service after another…it’s extremely hard to judge what sort of new effect the new service is going to have.”

Ms Nethery said “We will continue to monitor all pilots closely to find out if further changes need to be made and we will continue to work with operators to implement new delivery models and provide improvements along the way”.

The On Demand Bus Pilot is an inclusion in Waverley Council’s People, Movement and Places plan and a partnership between the Council, Transport for NSW and Roads & Maritime Services.

Commuter and resident of North Bondi, Carol Lo, said “Where I live in Bondi, because it’s further back from the beach, it’s hard to get into the city directly or quickly without having to go via the Junction.”

“The wharf is an option, but it’s always been difficult to get to…being able to book a bus to get the ferry straight across to Circular Quay could make life a lot easier for people like me who work in the area,” she said.

The pilot is a focus of the Council plan’s Smart Cities Mobility Strategy which has set goals to implement and trial ways to use technology to provide faster, cheaper, and more convenient solutions for public transport.

One goal of Waverley Council is to be able to combine all options and services from public and private operators for commuters to more efficiently manage their transport needs through a single point.

The Council wants to encourage commuters to shift from personally owned modes of transport like private cars and towards mobile services like public transport, on-demand buses, share bikes and cars.

Ms Lo said, “With so much congestion trying to get in and out of this area, and with a lot of the residents working in the CBD, it makes sense there are more services like this popping up to cater to the demand. The ferry is already a popular choice, it’s just not always been the most accessible one.”

TfNSW has promised On Demand Transport pilots will be assessed to tailor transport solutions to the local communities for the best outcomes.

Mayor Wakefield said the Council would like to continue to work with the state government to ensure residents in all areas of Waverley are able to travel where they need to go, according to their needs.