Over the last five years we've seen a reduction in the quality and quantity of bus services in the Inner West with the removal of bus stops and bus shelters and the privatisation of bus services.
Back in 2017, Jenny advocated for the maintenance of bus stops in Stanmore and in Newtown and surrounding suburbs as stops were being 'rationalised' making the distance longer between stops. As we said at the time, public transport should be accessible for everyone and particularly the elderly and parents and those with disabilities who are the ones who are impacted most by a lack of bus stops.
In 2018 Jenny Leong MP,Member for Newtown and Jamie Parker MP, Member for Balmain jointly called for the Liberal Coalition government to reverse its decision to privatise bus services in the Inner West. And again in 2020 Jenny called for a stop to the ongoing privatisation in a speech in the NSW Parliament.
Public transport needs to be a convenient, safe and accessible option for all users. Not only because it is a sustainable transport option that reduces dangerous carbon emissions, but also because increased use of public transport will ease congestion on our overcrowded roads.
Additionally, we believe that all bus stops should be covered and have seats - which is so important not just for older people but also crucial to protect passengers from the heat and weather when using public transport. We advocated for local commuters when the City of Sydney renewed its contract for bus shelters at the end of 2021 which meant that many bus shelters simply disappeared overnight and were not replaced for many months. This situation comes about because of privatisation - public transport should be kept in public ownership.
The Greens are committed to seeing more investment in public transport. You can read more here.
