Goulburn to Canberra bus service time tweak receives mixed review

The service has been operating on a trial since 2018 under various time schedules and was even temporarily suspended last September due to numbers.

But now it appears to be back on track, running Monday to Friday. NSW TrainLink added stops following a community survey and cemented a 6.30am departure times from Goulburn and 5.50pm from Canberra.

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"We're encouraging people to access the service and make the most of it because without the numbers, it is tenuous. We want to make sure it becomes permanent," Mrs Tuckerman said.

"We heard loud and clear that the previous running times were not suited so NSW TrainLink has revised them. The numbers have increased and that's what we want to see into the future."

The trial will continue until June 1, 2022.

NSW TrainLink chief executive Pete Allaway said 15 to 20 people were using the service daily. These included workers, university students, people travelling to Canberra Airport for flights, to the hospitals and other medical appointments in the national capital.

Extra stops were added at the airport,Calvary Hospital, Canberra University and Belconnen interchange earlier this year, following the survey.

Mr Allaway said while numbers were up slightly, the previous ones were "blurred" by COVID-19 when people curbed their travel. The trial was extended by 14 months in April as a result.

But ideally, he said numbers should be closer to 20 to 25 to ensure its survival.

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"A private company previously tried to run the Goulburn-Canberra bus service but NSW TrainLink was the only one that backed it and tried to make it work for the people of Goulburn. Now it's time to support it," he said.

It's not known how many people responded to the survey. But Ms Tuckerman said the times were departure time was changed as a result. She also received 30 letters from constituents.

While it suits some, others are less satisfied. Goulburn man Lawrie Sullivan has campaigned for the service's continuation and was disappointed when it was suspended last September. It did not resume until March.

"There were some, including me, who had to cancel pre-Christmas medical appointments due to the (suspension)," he said.

"The government (always) puts forward the argument that you can use the train. But the train gets into Kingston at almost lunch time and if you have to travel to say, Woden or Belconnen and back, it can be pretty hard on the frail, aged, or disabled, and still hard and hectic if you're reasonably fit.

"The old service, dropped you off and picked you up from the hospital, clinic, or civic bus stop."

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Mr Sullivan was referring to the fact the bus previously left Goulburn at 9am and returned at 4pm. He said numbers averaged about 12 daily before the cancellation and numbers were increasing.

He questioned who had been surveyed, as those using the bus didn't receive one.

"We were starting to use it regularly. When my son (Collen) came out of (Canberra) hospital we would take him on shopping day trips and he loved it," he said.

"A lot of others said they would use it for day trips as well."

But now Mr Sullivan doesn't use it all. He told The Post that the departure times didn't suit and made for a very long day for anyone in Canberra, unless they were working. Moreover, many older people couldn't drive.

He called for an intermediate Goulburn to Canberra bus run that catered for seniors and non-working people.

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"It's might suss that the times were changed just as the numbers were building," Mr Sullivan said.

"Goulburn's population is growing, not just growing older, and Canberra is its closest neighbour. It needs reliable transport services for workers, students, tourists, day trippers, job seekers, and the frail, aged and disabled.

"We shouldn't have to wait until Goulburn is swallowed up to become a suburb of Sydney or Canberra."

Mr Allaway confirmed there were fewer seniors using the bus. He welcomed any feedback on timing.

"The last thing we want is nobody using it and the whole purpose is to connect the community with transport links."

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