Tram and Bus Express: News and views from life in the bus & tram lanes
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Member Update: 13 November 2020
Dear members,
As New South Wales celebrates a six-day streak of no new locally acquired cases and Victoria also records zero once more, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced last week that the border between the two states will re-open from Monday 23 November. This is, no doubt, exciting news for families and friends in both states who have been separated by border closures since July.
Tuesday saw an incident where a pantograph detached and damaged a tram on the line near Moore Park. We took this opportunity to comment on the safety concerns surrounding the current light rail system that need to be addressed, especially since it has only been operating for a few years. These types of incidents are no joke, and while, thankfully, no one was injured, the $3 billion price tag on the light rail project should be reflected in the level of safety staff and passengers receive.
On another pressing note, the NSW Government continues its plan to privatise the last remaining publicly owned buses. Passengers in regions 7, 8 and 9 are in danger of convoluted travel times and unreliable timetables. The resulting service will not be better or efficient, as the stage government claims. Rather, it will jeopardise the travel and mobility of those who rely on a strong bus network to get around. That's why we've included further info on the bus privatisation survey below along with a link to complete it. Have your say and share it around to others who are being impacted to make sure that buses continue to run for people, not profit.
Mask-wearing continues to be a point of contention. The NSW Government's call for commuters to wear them on NSW public transport has been backed by national infectious disease experts. Mask-wearing on NSW public transport has plummeted to only 20% of passengers, causing concerns that complacency could sabotage the state's low case streak as people become more comfortable using transport networks. Firm reminders have been echoed that just because case numbers have dwindled, it doesn't mean that contracting the virus is any less serious.
On the other side, Victorian Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, has commented that rules on mask-wearing in Victoria could be eased in stages if they can keep their case numbers low or at zero for a prolonged period of time.
It's been another week of rapid changes, with continued reminders of what we have to work towards.
We hope that you continue to stay safe and well.
Detached pantograph causes safety concerns for CBD Light Rail
The L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford lines on Sydney's CBD light rail experienced long delays after a tram broke down near Moore Park. The tram's pantograph, connecting the vehicle to the overhead wires, became detached at around 7am on Tuesday.
RTBU NSW Division Secretary, David Babineau, says the incident raises concerns over the CBD light rail's safety.
"The wheels, or in this case what looks to be a light rail vehicle part, are falling off the light rail system only a few short years after it opened," he said.
"How did the NSW government spend more than $3 billion on a new light rail system only to have an incident like this happen?"
A Transdev spokesperson has explained that inspections are now being made on the damaged tram and the overhead wires near Robson Road to determine the cause of the incident.
No staff were injured and no passengers were on board at the time.
Our Transport Community Consultation Region 7, 8 and 9
The NSW Government is planning to privatise Sydney's last remaining publicly owned buses.
The changes will impact commuters in Region 7 (North Sydney), Region 8 (Northern Beaches) and Region 9 (The Eastern Suburbs).
From December, thousands of commuters in Region 8 covering the Northern Beaches alone will see their journey times inflate as they are forced to take two or three buses where they once took only one.
The Our Transport campaign is collecting information about which bus routes commuters are most worried about losing. Have your say in this 5-minute survey.
The Government keeps insisting that privatisation will mean better services for commuters. But we saw what happened in the Inner West and Newcastle – routes were changed or axed entirely, bus stops were removed and on-time running plummeted.
We’re seeing it again now. There are many places in Sydney that our train network doesn’t reach, where people rely heavily on a reliable, convenient public bus network to get by.
These buses must be run for the people, not profit, or commuters who live along less ‘profitable’ routes will get left behind.
Take the bus privatisation survey now and help us show the Government that people depend on their local routes remaining intact and on time.
RTBU win for Region 6!
We finally have a result from the Federal Court about the Easter Saturday dispute.
The appeal by Transit Systems has been dismissed and the Court has recognised that our members deserve to be paid as they have been since 2013 for public holidays that fall on a Saturday.
That is, when someone is rostered off on a Saturday where a holiday falls, if they have worked 10 Saturday shifts in the previous 12 months, they are paid 7hrs 36mins even if they're not rostered on.
The court was particularly scathing in its decision, saying near the end:“Even if the applicant had a point, which it does not…”.
Hopefully this is an end to the matter and we can finally have our ex-STA members paid as they should have been. We won’t know for 30 days, which is the time TSA has to lodge an appeal. Maybe common sense will finally win out and they’ll stop with the pointless legal manoeuvres, but time will tell.
NSW Transport Minister casts doubt on Parramatta Light Rail Stage Two
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has said the government is increasingly likely to utilise "trackless trams" or buses the Stage Two route connecting Camellia and Sydney Olympic Park.
"Ultimately into the future if we had the option with either bus rapid transit or trackless tram technology, I think that’s what we’re going to do," he said.
"If I can provide trackless trams, why the hell would we go and rip everything up if we can avoid it."
He went on to explain that trackless trams - which he deems less invasive and more economically viable - were not an available option when planning for Stage One took place.
It's another nail in the coffin for the second stage, with plans having been up in the air for too long. As we brought to you in a previous issue, Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer pushed for the light rail to be built to accommodate for expected economic and residential growth along the route by 2036.
Treasurer says NSW public sector wage cuts “generous”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet defended the government’s decision to cap wage increases for the public sector at 1.5% over the coming years, calling it a “generous policy”. This comes after a damaging temporary wage cut to a mere 0.3% for the next 12 months.
The lowered cap was agreed in state cabinet last Monday as a way to save billions during the COVID-19 economic crisis.
By saying this publicly, the state Treasurer has revealed contempt for public sector workers as a result; a major disrespect to those who are integral to supporting NSW through the pandemic.
COVID-19: FAQs
We are constantly updating the COVID-19 frequently asked questions section of the website, so please make sure you head there and have a look. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to contact your local delegate or the Division office at nswbus@rtbu-nsw.asn.au.
Thanks for your essential work during a time of crisis.
Once again, stay safe.
In solidarity,
David Babineau and Daniel Jaggers
