Skybus Super Shuttle

Infobox Company
name = Skybus Super Shuttle

type = Private Bus Operator
genre = Public Transport — Bus
foundation = 1978
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location_city = Melbourne
location_country = Australia
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homepage = http://www.skybus.com.au
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Skybus Super Shuttle is an Australian airport bus service that runs between Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine and Southern Cross Station in the city of Melbourne. In 2008, Skybus carried over 1.6 million passengers a year.

Skybus commenced operations on June 6, 1978, running a shuttle service between Melbourne Airport and the city. On 2 August 1982, Skybus took over the airport bus services run by the now-defunct airlines Ansett and TAA. [ [http://www.busaustralia.com/fleetlists/skybus.htm Fleet list: Skybus] , "Bus Australia", 24 October 2007.]

Until 6 November 2000, the Skybus headquarters and terminus was at a coach depot in Franklin Street. It would pick up passengers at the then-Spencer Street Station (now Southern Cross Station) and various city hotels before continuing on to the airport. In November 2000, Skybus relocated to Spencer Street and drove directly between there and the airport, cutting the journey time to 20 minutes and allowing more services to be introduced. Minibuses were introduced to continue the hotel transfer/pickup service. [ [http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/MediaRelArc02.nsf/17ed9415cb17e3d34a25682500254734/3af006eab097f6b24a256992000bf8d4!OpenDocument New Home For Skybus At Spencer Street Station] , Government of Victoria, 6 November 2000.]

In 2002, the Victorian government opted to contribute $3 million to a $10 million plan to expand and improve Skybus services, after a feasibility study into a city to airport rail link found the number of passengers using a train would make the scheme economically unviable. The initiative funded the purchase of new high-tech buses, and improvements to the Tullamarine Freeway, giving Skybus vehicles priority. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/12/1022982862204.html Better buses replace dumped rail link] , "The Age", 12 June 2002.]

On August 27, 2008 their contract was extended by 5 years, which was not put to tender. Over the past year patronage has grown by 17 per cent, to 1.6 million passengers a year. The State Government was still negotiating to integrate SkyBus ticketing with the rest of the public transport network.cite web
url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24247740-2862,00.html
title=SkyBus deal thwarts rail link to Melbourne Airport
work=Herald Sun
author=Mary Bolling
date=August 27, 2008
publisher=www.news.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-27]

References

External links

* [http://www.skybus.com.au Skybus Super Shuttle website]