Transport Canberra's problem areas where fewer people are taking the bus

I don’t know where about in Symonston you are referring to, but there are footpaths all the way from the caravan park to Goyder St where Bus 6 runs. I used those paths yesterday. However, yes the area has had an unnecessary reduction change of bus routes. I now have a longer walk to a bus. I now need to walk from Narrabundah into Griffith to catch a bus, annoyingly crossing a road where Bus 6 runs, but there is no bus stop there. Suggestions for a bus stop there have been ignored; as have all improvements suggested by numerous people. The meetings that were held with residents of Narrabundah and nearby areas, were only for PR purposes, as the bus authorities had absolutely no intention to take any comments aboard; only to hold the meeting so that could say they listened to the local residents. Listening and taking aboard what locals, who know the area, suggest, are not the same thing. Not one thing suggested by the locals I can notice has been implemented.

Julie Macklin Good point about the loss of Buses for people in Symonston. I just tried Google maps and it said it is a 29 minute walk from the middle of the Mobile Home area to the nearest Bus stop in Narrabundah. Google Maps, also had as its first recommendation for Public Transport was to ‘catch an Uber’ to the Bus stop. I don’t think the good people of Symonston, want to waste their limited funds on an Uber just to get them to a Bus stop. Narrabundah didn’t do great in the Bus changes but it still has much better services than areas like Symonston, Kambah, Theodore, Holt, Banks etc which really lost out.

Jeff Smith The people at the Mobile Home site now have a 1.7 km walk to the bus. If I lived there I would invest in an old bicycle and ride that to the bus stop. At least it’s a flat ride. My walk to the bus used to be 320 metres, but that was replaced by a 900 metre walk. That last figure is, from attending a meeting with bus representatives, was the bus stop that was suggested was my new bus stop. Fortunately I found a bus stop in Griffith that is closer, at only about 550 metres walk. However this would be unsuitable for anyone with mobility issues, because this involves crossing Sturt Street without any crossings. The bus stops along Stuart Avenue in Griffith are only about 200 or less metres apart, but from the last bus stop in Griffith it’s 1.1km to the first bus stop in Narrabundah, passing a whole heap of Narrabundah without a bus stop.

Julie Macklin Yes so sad! The people with the lowest car ownership in Canberra also have terrible access to public transport. Unfortunately a mate of mine who lives there had his ‘old bicycle’ stolen. It’s not a great setup in the housing areas for the disadvantaged for people to easily look after and secure their belongings. Google Maps gives me 2.3km walk from his place to the Goyder St Bus stop showing why the area needs more bus services.

Jeff Smith A lot of government retirement units were built along Kootara Crescent, which at the time was a good place for them, as the bus to Civic and Woden ran past them. There is still a bus that runs to Civic (taking the ‘scenic’ route) that goes past them, but no longer to Woden, which from the meeting I attended, I got the idea that far more people wanted to go to Woden than Civic, and considered Woden the local mall. These old people now have over a kilometre walk to catch the bus to Woden. Some in Narrabundah now have almost a two km walk to catch the bus to Woden. Puts my 550 metres walk into perspective.

Julie Macklin Yep agree – you would hope that pensioners and low income people are who Canberra Bus network are focused on servicing. Unfortunately, Roads that are easy to service by Bus, seem more important than the commuters themselves.

Jeff Smith I was cynical and thought that maybe many who caught the bus in Narrabundah were Seniors and on other cards which gave them free bus rides. They weren’t an income stream, so irrelevant…unlike the commuters of Griffith.

I’d love to go back to catching a bus to work but what used to be a competition between a 15-20 minute drive or a 35 minute bus trip (including walking from the bus stop) is now a competition between the same car trip and a 70 minute bus trip and walk.

Not really an appealing choice.

I’m wondering if the numbers they are counting are the number of times a person tags on/off? After all, there would be many more tag on/off moments now that nearly all travel requires at least one or two transfers.

Tracy Hancock Preciously this

Tracy Hancock it’s not. The myway figures clearly show journeys not boardings. Journeys don’t double count when a change is made.

Ashley Wright Yes you’re correct. This report and the consequent drop in bus use is based on ‘Journeys’. Unfortunately the Transport Minister and Bus Executives sometimes quote ‘Boardings’ statistics (if that cherry picked number looks better for their needs). I think they do themselves and the Canberra Public a diservice over the long term by not sticking to a consistent measurement on Public Transport use.

Peter McArdle there’s an election around the corner, they’ll now about them shortly

Yeah the 106 people a day who stopped using public transport in Tuggeranong will make a huge difference…….

Justin Watson It’s the 1000s of Tuggers commuters who have to travel on slower Bus routes because of the Bus changes. Unfortunately these people can’t afford their own Cars or Uber, but in reality ACT Labor doesn’t care for strugglers and the working poor.

ALL buses