community - 2026-08-13

Manly MP urges Northern Beaches bus timetable reset amid driver shortage

Source: jamesgriffinmp.com

Northern Beaches bus routes and timetables should be reviewed from the ground up because the existing schedule cannot be delivered reliably, according to Manly MP James Griffin. He is urging Transport for NSW to prioritise dependable connections, arguing that an advertised high-frequency service is of little value to commuters when scheduled buses are regularly cancelled or do not arrive.

Northern Beaches bus routes and timetables should be reviewed from the ground up because the existing schedule cannot be delivered reliably, according to Manly MP James Griffin. He is urging Transport for NSW to prioritise dependable connections, arguing that an advertised high-frequency service is of little value to commuters when scheduled buses are regularly cancelled or do not arrive. Griffin said the bus workforce was about 160 drivers short and linked that shortfall to persistent cancellations, delays and so-called ghost buses. While services in the region are operated under a private contract, he said Transport for NSW remains responsible for determining routes, service frequencies and timetables. The workforce figure and assessment of the timetable were presented by Griffin and have not been independently verified in the material available. The MP's central proposal is for Transport for NSW to build a timetable around the drivers currently available, rather than continuing to schedule services that operators cannot consistently run. "Residents have explained to me that they would much rather have a bus that reliably arrives every 20 minutes than a timetable promising one...