Public transport users call for improvements in Dubbo's bus services

A multicultural women's group with members ranging from 40 to 90 years of age were "very vocal" about their issues with buses at their recent meeting.

Absence of direct bus routes to key locations in town such as transport terminals, the zoo, motels, grocery shops, and the hospital was a clear problem for the group.

"[Existing bus services] are okay but they're not keeping up with the needs," Ms Ramirez said.

"If a family flew into Dubbo or came on the train... how do they get from the airport or station to their hotel room?

"I've seen people walking up and down Darling street with their luggage looking for their hotel. Come on, we can't all afford a taxi."

The group members wanted regular bus routes to and from the airport to meet scheduled flights and check-in times. They also said a regular bus route to cover the Sydney XPT times and intercity buses was also necessary.

Ms Ramirez was also worried about new residents and people without cars. She doubted how convenient it was for them to explore the city and also do sufficient grocery shopping. Not having any bus services on Sundays has also been a challenge.

"What about the regular people trying to find their way around town when they're new? They don't all have a car.... or there might only be one car in the household," she said.

"On my street, you have to walk up a hill for the bus stop."

Dubbo Buslines has six established routes at the moment. As depicted in their guide, many streets do not have fixed bus stops. People must find the nearest one, and for some, the nearest stop is a 15 minute walk or at the top of a hill.

Residents found this to be inconvenient and inaccessible, especially for people with disabilities and health conditions who cannot make that walk.

Noni and Justine Kuhner's family came to Dubbo in 1997. They used to live at Richmond Estate, far east of Dubbo, but made the decision to move into the city so they could walk to places.

"There's was one big bus stop... it was a 15 minute walk. There's a lot of big acre blocks, so it was pretty lengthy," Justine said.

Her sister, Noni, cannot drive due to medical reasons. She is forced to rely on public transport, which she found, had not changed much in the last 20 years.

"I would say it's been about the same. There hasn't been a lot of change in the last 20 years in terms of the public transport layout and such... except [coverage of] areas that are out of town, there's been more coverage, Richmond Estate and Firgrove," she said.

Moreover, she felt the bus routes were winding, lengthy, with odd timings.

"They do go a very very long way to get from A to B. What might be a five to 10 minute drive could take you 45 minutes if you're getting a bus," Noni said.

"That's if you're lucky enough that there may be one an hour. There's not even any extras at peak times."

She also tipped her hat to Dubbo's bus drivers, saying they deserved a lot more recognition.

"I can tell you that the bus drivers have always been absolutely incredible, they do a really tough job," she said.

Noni now lives in Bourke and still comes to Dubbo every few months but prefers to walk, get cabs or lifts to "maximise" her time while she's here.

Agreeing with the multicultural women's group, Noni said the cost of living crisis is weighing heavy on car-owners who would also benefit from using public transport to avoid fuel costs.

"[Efficient public transport] opens up so many opportunities that not having it is really potentially putting a downward pressure on Dubbo's ability to grow and become a modern place to live," she said.

Private transport provider Tsukasa Hiraoka, whose Wilba bus services have been a relief for Dubbo residents, firmly believes regional NSW suffers from huge gaps in public transport.

She said it "unfairly disadvantages" people who can't drive or don't have access to a vehicle who prefer not to drive for various reasons such as safety, financial stress, environmental impact, and health and lifestyle related choices.

Soon, Wilba the Empowerbus will be moving to Bourke in late February to help with transport options there.

Residents also unanimously voiced the need for an Opal-card-type system followed in Sydney and Newcastle. Producing exact change for bus fare was proving to be an obsolete practice.

On December 1 last year, Transport Minister Sam Farraway announced contactless payment would be trialled on Dubbo and Bathurst buses early this year. While 16 buses in Bathurst began accepting card payments that month, the trial is yet to begin in Dubbo.

While residents are still waiting for this service, Daily Liberal has reached out to NSW Transport for information about future upgrades.

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