Residents have won against the plans to change a popular Coogee bus route, the 373 bus from Coogee to City Circular Quay, after nearly 9,000 locals submitted their objections during the consultation period.
Following the outcry, the 373 bus route will continue to travel from Coogee to Randwick, and through the CBD, every 10 minutes during the day as the government ditches its original plans to overhaul Eastern Sydney’s public transportation.
In May, a proposal to cut the 373 bus service along with 20 other routes was immediately met with rejections from the commuters. Transport for NSW also planned on modifying 23 other routes whilst adding 11 new buses.
The overhaul was supposed to encourage people to use the light rail line as the “more sustainable” public transport network amidst the population growth in the area.
However, residents in the southeast said this network involved more interchanges. They staged rallies in Randwick and opened two petitions to save the buses.
Whilst the 373 bus will remain, minor changes will still be carried out for some routes by 5 December 2021. Capacity for buses 348, 356, and 375 will also be improved to help the students in 90 local schools, as gained from the feedback during the consultations.
“We will re-engage with schools to help them understand and communicate relevant changes to their communities,” said Transport Minister Rob Stokes.
“This is a great win for our community but the campaign to Save Our Buses is not over as this Government still has 24 local bus routes on the chopping block,” Member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill wrote.