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Bus timetable changes coming in May

shane on a nightrider bus

SHANE Rattenbury says that on Monday May 18 ACTION will launch new weekday timetables for a number of services to improve on-time running and reduce waiting times between services.

“Since Network 14 was introduced last year ACTION have been analysing commuter behaviour based on data from the MyWay system and will be making some changes to the scheduling of services to create more efficient and effective timetables,” Shane said.

“These changes will include improvements based on both network analysis and passenger feedback we have received since the introduction of Network 14.

“At a practical level, this will mean a better distribution of services and better connections between routes, and more even spacing of departures times for similar routes. For example, under the current timetable, the maximum wait time for services between Erindale to Woden is 22 minutes, under the new timetable, the maximum wait between services will be 12 minutes.

“The vast majority of the feedback we have received about the current network has focused on the reliability and on-time performance of services, and these are the key issues we are targeting with the new timetables.

“A number of commuters also told us that the Xpresso services were leaving too early in the morning peak so we have moved some services to run later, including Chisholm and Weston Creek. Weston Creek will also see the introduction of a later Route 726 that will provide direct access to the City from Cooleman Court.

“There has also been feedback in relation to crowding on Red Rapid services out of Gungahlin in the morning peak periods, which has been confirmed through MyWay ticketing data. As a result of this feedback, we are increasing the number of buses from the Gungahlin Market Place before 10am on weekdays.”

The changes will include:

  • direct access to Erindale for residents in Monash, Oxley and Wanniassa
  • increased direct services to the City for Oxley, Wanniassa, Kambah and Monash residents
  • introduction of an Xpresso service through Macquarie and Aranda, providing direct service to the Parliamentary Triangle which will also service the Jamison Park & Ride facility
  • later morning peak Xpresso services which provide better direct options to the City for residents in Isabella Plains, Calwell, Richardson, Chisholm and Gilmore, including Park & Ride facilities at the Calwell and Chisholm shops
  • a later morning Xpresso route servicing areas of Weston Creek and Cooleman Court directly to the City
  • enhanced connections from Weston Creek and Cooleman Court to the Parliamentary Triangle
  • improved options for passengers travelling from Cooleman Court to Woden during the day
  • more buses, more often for passengers travelling from Erindale during the day
  • additional morning Red Rapid services between the City and Gungahlin to meet passenger demand
  • extension of evening Blue Rapid services through the Tuggeranong Bus Station to Lanyon, eliminating the requirement for passengers to interchange.

Shane said there will also be a number of improvements to school services.

“Six dedicated school services will be introduced to meet demand at Trinity Christian School, Merici College, Daramalan College, St Anthony’s Primary and Wanniassa High,” Shane said.

“On top of this, a number of current school routes will have some directional or timing changes to better meet the needs of passengers.

“ACTION’s current bus network was introduced on Monday 1 September 2014 and was the first to be developed based on patronage data from the MyWay system along with feedback received from the community, passengers, drivers and schools representatives via a community consultation process.

“Public Transport planners can now continually monitor the network using performance data available from the MyWay and NXTBUS systems to identify areas for improvement. Consistently reviewing and refining timetables is a key tool for building a better bus service for Canberra.

“By frequently reviewing the timetables we can ensure that the schedules are accurate for current on-ground conditions such as roadworks which can significantly impact bus running times. For example, the new timetable adjustments include extra time for services that travel through Constitution Avenue area,” said Mr Rattenbury.

There are no changes to night time or weekend services.

Full details including routes, timetables and maps are available at action.act.gov.au or from the ACTION & MyWay Information Line on 13 17 10.

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