The Sydney bus route shake-up that could lead to even longer queues

Residents along part of a key Sydney transport corridor are upset about a looming shake-up to bus services they fear will leave more commuters queuing for longer at stops during peak periods.

Under the changes, the 500X express bus service between West Ryde and the CBD via Victoria Road will be replaced by a route starting farther west in Parramatta. Bendy buses will operate on the new 52 bus route from Parramatta to the CBD via Ryde, starting on June 21.

The Minns government has spruiked the change as an election promise, citing it as a restoration of the M52 service cut by its Coalition predecessors.

Liberal MP for Ryde Jordan Lane accused the government of failing to be upfront about the implications of its election commitment to reintroduce the M52 service.

“At no stage were they honest with the community about modifying existing bus services in order to reintroduce the M52,” he said.

Lane said more people would be left behind at bus stops because services would be full during peak periods, which was causing considerable angst within the Ryde community about the changes.

“It’s very clear people know if they’re at a certain point in the line, they’re just not getting on, so more people will be in that boat,” he said. “An already overcrowded bus service is going to have to service even more people.”

Transport Minister John Graham said Lane was showing a “trademark Liberal contempt” for the 52 bus route, and he was concerned the opposition would axe it a second time if re-elected.

“With careful consideration of passenger demand, the 52 service will include more buses starting at Top Ryde during the morning peak to ensure capacity in suburbs like Gladesville and Drummoyne,” he said.

Transport for NSW said route 52 would deliver high-frequency trips by bendy buses between Parramatta and the CBD, while extra services would start at Ryde shops to provide capacity for passengers in suburbs such as Ryde and Gladesville. “In the afternoon peak, additional services will be scheduled to operate as far as Ryde shops only, providing extra capacity for those passengers travelling part of the way along the corridor,” the agency said.

In the mornings, the 52 route will have 49 trips to the CBD compared to 43 at present on the 500X route between 6am and 10am, while the former will have eight more journeys starting at Ryde shops.

Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional president Peter Grech said existing routes often suffered when a new service was put on, and the end of the 500X was the latest example.

Grech said the city-bound buses on the new route would be “chock-a-block full” by the time they reached suburbs closer to the CBD, such as Drummoyne, during the morning weekday peak.

“These buses in the peaks are going to be full and people will be left on the footpaths,” he said. “A shortage of buses is always a primary issue with most of this stuff.”

Liberal MP for Lane Cove Anthony Roberts said running the same frequency of buses along a longer and more populated route would guarantee buses filled up earlier and leave people waiting at stops in Ryde and Gladesville.

“People are cranky and really upset [about the changes]. The buses will go past them. You can put as much lipstick as you want on the pig, but no one is buying the pig,” he said, referring to the government’s reasoning for the changes.

Roberts said residents wanted to see the 500X retained and operated in parallel with the new M52 services as the population increased along the corridor.

Amid changes to the bus services along Victoria Road, the government confirmed it will extend bus operator Transit Systems’ contract to provide services in region six, which covers Sydney’s inner west, by two years to June 2028. It did not disclose the cost of the contract extension.

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