Interim weekday timetable from 25 August

Started by Barry Drive, August 20, 2021, 03:42:16 PM

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Barry Drive

Important news from Transport Canberra:

In response to the current COVID-19 lockdown in the ACT, Transport Canberra will commence a reduced bus timetable from Wednesday 25 August 2021.

This timetable will remain in place until further notice.

The COVID-19 situation in the ACT continues to evolve with an increasing number of bus drivers required to comply with ACT Health directions and unable to attend work.

We are introducing these changes now to ensure regular and reliable services are able to be delivered for essential workers and their children without putting any further pressure on our workforce.

The interim bus timetable provides a high level of frequency with all local services and the Rapid 10 running at least every 30 minutes and all other Rapids running at least every 15 minutes during the day and around every hour after 8pm during the week.

This is the same timetable that ran over the summer holiday period and customers are already familiar with it.

While the timetable sees a reduction in services it still provides enough frequency to get people that rely on public transport where they need to be.

Weekend services will remain the same.

Light rail is continuing to run to its regular frequency at this time.

School services
Transport Canberra will be working closely with the Education Directorate and private schools to ensure families are provided with information regarding services available to students attending face-to-face learning during this time.

Many students already travel to school using the regular network which still has good frequency during school travel times.

Dedicated school bus services will not be running during this time. For students that rely on dedicated school buses Transport Canberra can provide a bespoke service. This can be arranged via your school. Students must be registered to access this service.

Please check with your school if your child is attending in person and uses a dedicated school bus. 

Special Needs Transport
Special Needs Transport continues to run for those families that need this service. We are communicating directly with schools and users.

Flexible Bus Service
The Flexible Bus Service continues to run for those who need it, but please do not travel if you are unwell.

We thank our customers for their understanding during this time and our workforce for their commitment to ensuring reliable services at this difficult time.

Timetable information

We are working hard to get updated information for our customers as quickly as possible.

Timetables for the interim timetable will be made available online on Monday, including printable PDFs.

For enquiries customers are encouraged to call 13 17 10.

NXTBUS real time passenger information and the Transport Canberra Journey Planner will be updated shortly.

We will let our customers know as soon as they are available for use.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Quote from: Barry Drive on August 20, 2021, 03:42:16 PMThis is the same timetable that ran over the summer holiday period... ...available online on Monday, including printable PDFs.
For once I won't need to fuss, I kept all of mine. Assuming it's identical with the bus allocations, this'll screw me somewhat as I seem to recall fewer choices of Renault's in my area with this timetable.

Barry Drive

Timetables have been published online ( https://www.transport.act.gov.au/getting-around/timetables/interim-bus-timetable ).

The HTML timetables include a wheelchair symbol, so you can check to see which routes will be operated by a Renault. Not that ANYONE should be travelling other than for essential purposes.

Sylvan Loves Buses

I prefer checking anytrip for Renault activity as more often than not, the lack of a wheelchair icon on the online timetables won't always mean it will be a Renault.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on August 21, 2021, 05:15:40 PMI prefer checking anytrip for Renault activity
Now if only Anytrip would realize we're on a different timetable and not freeze everyday after the 5:30am routes...
I've only heard one Renault pass on Drakeford Drive so far since Wednesday, has anyone else seen any or shall I just assume they're all being indecently exposed up in Belconnen and Gungahlin?

Bus 400

It would depend on when Anytrip updates the GTFS. The current GTFS was released Monday, for implementation Wednesday. 

In the past, Google have said they need the data 2 weeks beforehand. However, lately we've seen TfNSW data loaded almost instantaneous.

Toyota Camry

Due to the severity of the current outbreak, with high cases numbers being reported in the ACT every day; it is extremely important that the lowest risk vehicles need to be assigned to trips with the highest passenger volumes. This means implementing 'green dots' as in Sydney to cap the capacity of each vehicle at 10 passengers, and operating the Renault fleet on as many trips as possible that reach or exceed this capacity limit; the Renault fleet needs to be operated with the windows remaining forcefully open, with no facility for a passenger to close the window for any reason.

There is also a need for the articulated fleet to cover as many services as possible that cannot be operated with the Renault fleet; with as many residual trips beyond the full utilisation of that fleet as possible covered by the STAG fleet.

It is refreshing to see the Premier of NSW & Chief Health Officer commenting during the week that the mask mandate on public transport and settings such as shops in NSW will be permanent, and will not end after vaccination rates increase or the pandemic is declared over; this is the kind of leadership that we also need in the ACT, and it is critical that our excellent Barr Government makes the present mask mandate permanent for many years to come on Transport Canberra bus and light rail vehicles.

Snorzac

On what health advice and evidence do you base the above on? Given we have seen minimal public transport exposure and zero public transport transmission I find this a but unnecessary!

Toyota Camry

Quote from: Snorzac on August 29, 2021, 10:50:55 PMOn what health advice and evidence do you base the above on? Given we have seen minimal public transport exposure and zero public transport transmission I find this a but unnecessary!
The ACT is reporting unlinked cases every day; we are 2.5 hours drive away from extreme risk zones in Greater Sydney such as the Campbelltown LGA, that are expecting to be reporting up to 6000 daily cases next month, it is inevitable the Sydney outbreak will continue to spread to Canberra. It is quite possible that some of the unlinked cases reported every day were caused by chains of transmission from positive cases having travelled on Transport Canberra bus & light rail services prior to Thursday August 15th at 17:00 when the mask mandate took effect.

In my team there is an APS6 who lives in the same household as a Transport Canberra bus driver; they are dreading and fearing the possibility of the mask mandate on public transport ending later this year, as it will be placing their life at risk. There are the resources to operate as many trips as possible with the lowest risk vehicles; this is essential to protect lives.

Until the vaccination rate is over 95%, there is no reason why that any person not wearing a fitted face mask should be permitted to travel on any public transport service in the ACT; if the vaccination rate will not reach 95%, now is the time to make the mask mandate permanent.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on August 27, 2021, 03:56:18 PMNow if only Anytrip would realize we're on a different timetable and not freeze everyday after the 5:30am routes...

Man... it's still buggered. I must sight a Renault, I'm getting so depressed now.

Stan butler

Quote from: Toyota Camry on August 31, 2021, 09:04:51 PMIn my team there is an APS6 who lives in the same household as a Transport Canberra bus driver; they are dreading and fearing the possibility of the mask mandate on public transport ending later this year, as it will be placing their life at risk. There are the resources to operate as many trips as possible with the lowest risk vehicles; this is essential to protect lives.


There is nothing stopping the bus driver you mention of continuing to wear a mask - and plus, from my observations, the vast majority of passengers are boarding via the rear doors - and therefore not interacting with the driver.  If the driver mentioned is that concerned, then he can wear a more stringent mask that has stronger filters too ( I have seen one driver wear such a mask).

The driver also has the advantage of being behind protector screens on the newer buses too - something the old Renault's don't provide.


Sylvan Loves Buses

2 weeks later and anytrip is FINALLY working again... Still no sign of Renault's though, they must only be in use during peak and dawn/dusk times.

Barry Drive

It's actually more than 3 weeks later, but the guy who runs Anytrip has been busy.

There are Renaults in service, you just need to know where and when to look.

Toyota Camry

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on September 21, 2021, 02:31:40 PM2 weeks later and anytrip is FINALLY working again... Still no sign of Renault's though, they must only be in use during peak and dawn/dusk times.
Renaults are running from 3pm onwards at a minimum; this is confirmed from the exposure sites list, which listed bus 933 as a COVID-19 exposure site on September 2nd. This exposure alert is listed below; you can see the full list of exposure sites at https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/act-status-and-response/act-covid-19-exposure-locations; it is highly recommended that you check it every day.

Bus Route 23 Transport Canberra Code BUS933   Gungahlin Interchange to Kaleen   Public Transport   02/09/2021 - Thursday   3:07pm   3:28pm

Bus 400

Quote from: Barry Drive on September 21, 2021, 04:37:48 PMThere are Renaults in service, you just need to know where and when to look.
🙋‍♂️ at a bus stop outside Tuggy or Belco Depot at the start & end of "peak" time*


*as long as it complies with lockdown health orders.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Yeah my bad, I've completely lost track now that I'm not out and about most days of the week.
As far as I can tell the Renaults are northside mostly, so rip me getting any anytime soon.

narc855

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on September 21, 2021, 08:43:49 PMYeah my bad, I've completely lost track now that I'm not out and about most days of the week.
As far as I can tell the Renaults are northside mostly, so rip me getting any anytime soon.
Tuggeranong Renaults are not used for this timetable (974 was an exception for the first two days of this timetable). Until now I haven't seen a north Renault cross the lake as well.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Apart from 943 the other day when I saw it being used as a trainer bus, that's the only Tuggeranong Renault's I've seen.

Toyota Camry

It has been confirmed that Transport Canberra will continue operating the interim timetable until late November or early December; this is confirmed at the following link:

https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1861643/ACTs-Summary-of-proposed-restrictions-270921.pdf

Barry Drive

Quote from: Toyota Camry on September 27, 2021, 07:25:46 PMthis is confirmed at the following link:

https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1861643/ACTs-Summary-of-proposed-restrictions-270921.pdf
It is? I saw no mention of bus timetables.

On the other hand, Minister Chris Steel has announced that school bus services (and school diversions) will recommence on 25 October.

narc855

Quote from: Barry Drive on September 28, 2021, 10:26:11 AMIt is? I saw no mention of bus timetables.
Yes it is. Please scroll down to the seventh page and find "Public Transport".
And from 25 October it will be "Interim timetable with school services" which is believed to be a different network but still named "interim timetable".

Barry Drive

After hinting that the interim timetable might end for the start of Term 2, Transport Canberrra have now confirmed that it will continue ... without giving any indication of a new end date.

https://www.transport.act.gov.au/news/news-and-events-items/april-2022/interim-bus-timetable-to-remain-in-place

triumph

The question is why?
The light rail arm of Transport Canberra is running normally, and if I recall correctly, actually increased frequency to   increase passenger spacing. The bus arm, in contrast, is remaining substandard. If light rail can manage, there is no damn good reason why the bus arm can't. It is ironic that much media criticism of light rail was and is based on the perception of unreliability because the vehicles are constrained to the tracks and can't overtake and divert easily. It turns pout the real unreliability potential is with the bus system.
It is disappointing that the credibility of public transport remains damaged.

Busnerd

I would say the decision includes a number of factors, and whilst disappointing probably unavoidable.

One main reason may be staffing. The light rail only has a maximum of 12 trams out at any one time in the AM peak, which using some rough estimates including shift lengths, days off etc would indicate around 30 - 40 drivers are employed. Whereas each bus depot potentially employs hundreds of drivers.

Given how frequently people are still contracting covid and having to isolate for 7 days, and the fact that bus drivers generally will come into closer contact with people than a tram driver, one can assume it is staffing issues, as well as the fact many buses are probably still running with very low ridership as people still stay away and keep to private vehicles, although it is a bit of a catch 22 that some may be avoiding returning due to the poorer frequency.

Snorzac

Whilst I'm not super familiar with the current training set up it is also possible that with requirements for social distancing class sizes may have been reduced and as a result are unable to keep up with the natural attrition of drivers leaving either for retirement or other jobs