Canberra's public transport system is missing something - and the race is on to fix it

The Public Transport Association of Canberra (PTCBR) has launched a competition to fix what they see as a glaring omission in the city’s public transport maps and create a map that shows what bus and train services are available over the border.

It comes just as the NSW Government is investigating ways to improve connections between the ACT and regional towns like Queanbeyan, Yass and Goulburn, with the number of commuters set to skyrocket in the coming years.

What’s the problem?

“We have a number of different organisations offering regional services to Canberra, but not many people know about them,” PTCBR secretary Matt Baillie says.

“People love the Murray’s bus, which goes to Sydney, but not as many people know it also goes to the South Coast and the Southern Highlands.

“Then there are the NSW TrainLink services, and a lot of people know about the Sydney-to-Canberra train, but fewer people know about the connecting coach services that go in different directions along the way, or the V/Line train to Melbourne.

“And there are lots of Greyhound services as well.

“So there are all these disparate services which people might look up from time to time, but there’s no sort of single source, and this is where maps are really good.”

The idea is ‘borrowed’ from a map of regional coach services in South Australia, compiled by Melbourne-based public transport guru Tom McGuire (@AussieWirraway on Twitter/X), which shows services between Adelaide and places as far-flung as Alice Springs and Broken Hill.

“One thing we’ve noticed is there are so many people out there who like drawing maps, and you particularly find them on Reddit – fantasy maps with people saying, ‘In my perfect world, we would have all these train lines going everywhere’.

“This competition welcomes people out there who have an interest in both public transport and graphic design. It tackles both those fancies.”

Matt says a winning map will contain a mix of “detail and simplicity”.

“We’re looking for a good amount of information on what services are out there … so people know what their options are, but we want it expressed in a way that’s easy to read and understand.”

The map would be made publicly available and free for download on the PTCBR website.

Is a proper fix underway?

Matt says he’d love to see the ACT and NSW governments put their heads together to create something like this. However, while Transport Canberra “doesn’t really pay attention to regional transport”, Transport for NSW is “doing some really interesting things”.

The NSW Government is taking public feedback until 28 February on a draft Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP) for South East and Tablelands, said to “provide a 20-year vision of the key transport priorities for the region”.

It expects the population to grow across the region by 64,000 by 2041, with up to 75 per cent of this accounted for by local government areas “adjacent to Canberra and Sydney”, particularly Wingecarribee, Queanbeyan-Palerang, and Goulburn-Mulwaree.

“About 30,000 people, or 10 per cent of the South East and Tablelands population, work in the ACT,” the report reads.

“This is even more significant in border communities, with about 37 per cent of people living in Queanbeyan, 42 per cent in Googong, 33 per cent in Bungendore, 16 per cent in Yass, and 41 per cent in Murrumbateman employed in the ACT.”

The document lays out a number of actions to complete within five years, which include:

• Identifying a “corridor” for future connection between the ACT and Googong, South Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan
• Improving public transport connectivity between Crookwell and Goulburn, Yass and Canberra, Braidwood and Queanbeyan, and Captains Flat and Queanbeyan, among others
• Developing a “program of service and infrastructure improvements” to reduce the four-hour train ride between Sydney and Canberra
• Providing or improving services between Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong and Braidwood and Goulburn, among others, and
• Integrating the ticketing system for public transport between Queanbeyan and Yass and the ACT.

Matt agrees the “real missing link” PTCBR has identified is “how to better coordinate Canberra and Queanbeyan’s buses”.

“It’s a bugbear for a lot of people, and the report recognises it is a problem, but also one that’s hard to fix.”

One the association would also like to see is a faster bus service between Canberra and Goulburn. The current 783 service offered by Transport for NSW runs between Canberra Railway Station and Goulburn Station, but takes more than three hours to do it.

“It spends two hours doodling around Canberra, stopping by all the hospitals before hitting the airport and going to Goulburn from there,” Matt says.

“I suspect it is for older people in Goulburn who need medical services in Canberra, but we would like to see Goulburn-to-Canberra upgraded to a proper commuter service.”

Matt agrees that the rising costs of living in the ACT are pushing more people into the regions, who then need these faster, more reliable services.

How do I enter the competition?

• Draw your best map of regional and long-distance services connecting to Canberra and email it to chair@ptcbr.org.
• The map must be based on current services (not a fantasy map).
• What services you include depends on the research you do and your discretion. Rail, coach, local bus, it’s up to you.
• PTCBR would like your permission to publish entries on our website and social media, but you remain the owner of your work.
• The PTCBR committee will judge the winner (the winner receives a free PTCBR membership for the rest of the financial year).
• Entries close on Canberra Day, Monday, 10 March.

Visit the PTCBR website for more information.