Buses in Sydney

Buses are a major part of public transport in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Services are operated by both a large government operator, the State Transit Authority of New South Wales (STA), and numerous smaller private operators. The STA generally operates services in Sydney's east, north, inner west and inner southern suburbs, a legacy of the former tram network, most of which was replaced by the current bus network in the late 1950s. The western suburbs and most of the southern suburbs are served by smaller private operators in contract areas. There were previously 87 small contract areas where private bus companies operated, however the recent Unsworth Bus Reform has seen this consolidate into 10 areas, which will be further consolidated into just 8 areas in 2012. This will also include 43 'strategic' bus corridors, offering enhanced and more frequent services. The first of these have come into operation (Hurstville to Miranda, and Liverpool to Bankstown). cite web| work=Ministry of Transport NSW | title=Bus Reform in NSW | url=http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/busreform/ | accessdate=25 August | accessyear=2006]

List of current bus operators in Sydney

* Busabout:Operates bus services out of a depot in Hoxton Park in the Liverpool area, many of which act as feeder services to Cityrail trains.
* BusLink:Operates bus services in and around Miranda, Cronulla and Kurnell.
*Busways:Operates buses in the Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Rouse Hill, and Campbelltown areas.:Operate from depots at Blacktown, Campbelltown and Camden.:Operates services on the North-west T-way.
*Caringbah Bus Service
:Operates bus services in Sydney's south.
*ComfortDelGro Cabcharge:Operates Hillsbus from depots at Dural, Northmead and Seven Hills and runs services in the Baulkham Hills areas.:Operates services on the North-west T-way.:Operates Westbus, a large company that operates buses in the Liverpool, Fairfield, Parramatta, Windsor, Penrith and Mount Druitt areas.
*Forest Coach Lines:Operate bus services in Sydney's northern suburbs.
*Hopkinsons:Operates services in the Parramatta and Merrylands area
*Interline Bus and Coach Services:Operates buses out of a depot in Macquarie Fields in the Campbelltown area.
*Metrolink Bus Lines (Oliveri's):Operates feeder buses in Sydney's south west to Liverpool Station
*Punchbowl Bus Company :Operate buses in the south and inner south western suburbs, from a depot at Riverwood.
*Shorelink:Operates services on Sydney's North Shore.
*State Transit Authority-Sydney Buses:Government operator:Operates services in inner Sydney and on the T-Way
*Veolia Transport NSW:Formerly known as Connex NSW, and before that, Southtrans, then previously Deane's. Operates services in Sydney's southern suburbs.

List of defunct bus operators in Sydney

In the past, many of Sydney's bus services were operated by small companies, particularly in the middle and outer suburbs. Some of these companies only operated one or two routes. Most operated before the current revised route numbers and contract areas were introduced.
* Allways:Closed in 1992
*Bankstown Strathfield Bus Service:Operated routes 484-5-6 until taken over by Transit First in 2003
*Barklimore Bros:Operated routes in Merrylands until taken over by Baxters in 1981. Routes taken over by Transit First in 2005.
* Barnes Coaches
* Bass Hill Bus Service
* "'Baxter's Bus Lines:Trading name of Holroyd Bus Lines Pty Ltd; operated bus services in the western suburbs. Sold to Westbus in 2006. cite web| work=ComfortDelGro | title=cdc Baxters Announcement | url=http://www.westbus.com.au/uploads/announce/cdc%20baxters%20announcement.pdf | accessdate=31 August | accessyear=2006] Baxter's remains a tour and charter company only.
*Brighton Bus Lines:Operated route 196 in the Brighton and Kyeemagh areas until 1993 when the route was bought by State Transit, becoming the 479 cite web| work=NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard | title=NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard | url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA19940302028 | accessdate=2 October | accessyear=2006] . The company carried an orange livery with a blue stripe.
*Bustrans:Operated Routes 817 and 818 in the Fairfield area. It was taken over by Baxters Holroyd Bus Lines in 2004.
*Canterbury Bus Lines:Operated routes 450 and 451 until routes taken over by Punchbowl Bus Company in 1998
*Carss Park Charter Tours and Buslines:Routes taken over by Southtrans
*Deanes:Became Southtrans, until taken over by Connex in the late 1990s. Now operates as Veolia Transport
*Foley's Bus Service
*GP Bus Company:Later became Punchbowl Bus Company
*Harbour City Coaches:Operated lower North Shore services from 1987 until sold to North and Western in 1989
* Harris Park Bus Company
* Hawkesbury Valley Coaches
*Higlett's Coaches:Acquired by Busways in 1986
* Holsworthy Bus Company:Operated between Holsworthy and Liverpool until 1982.
* Hopkinsons Coaches
*Jannali Como Bus Service :Operated route 238 sold 1977 to Southwestern buslines operated services from Jannali to Como and Oyster Bay. Limited services to Sutherland:Owned and operated Jannali Scenic Tours and Opal Field Scenic Tours
* Katen & Heath:Founded 1956, became Bustrans in 1996.
* Kingsgrove Bus and Coach Company:Now operates as a charter company only
* Kogarah-Carss Park Bus Service
*Lane Cove Bus Service:Bought bus services in the Lane Cove area from Deanes in the early 1980s until 1987.
*Liverpool Transport Company
*Longueville Bus Company:Operated services in the Lane Cove/Longueville area until the early 1950s when taken over by Deanes Coaches.
*Manly Transport Service
*Marrickville Bus Lines
*McVicar's Bus Service:Operated routes, mainly out of Bankstown, until 1978
*Metro Link
*Midshore Busways:Routes taken over by Shorelink
*Milperra Bus Service:Operated routes around Bankstown until 1987, taken over by Transit First.
*Moore's Tours:Operated route 954 from a depot in Blakehurst until 2004 when route taken over by Punchbowl Bus Company. Continues as a charter operator only.
*Narwee Bus Service:Taken over by Punchbowl Bus Company in the late 1950s
*Neville's Bus service:Now part of Busabout.
*North & Western Bus Lines:Sold to Sydney Buses in 1999.
*Oatley Bus Service
*Parramatta Ryde Bus Service:Operated services in the Parramatta area until it was sold to State Transit in 2000 cite web| work=Bus Australia | title=Parramatta Ryde Bus Services | url=http://www.busaustralia.com/fleetlists/parraryde.html | accessdate=25 August | accessyear=2006] .
*Peakhurst Bus and Coach Company (Saints):Operated three routes (32, 88, 108) in southern Sydney until 1989 when its routes were taken over by the Punchbowl Bus Company. The buses carried a black and white livery.
* Pioneer Coaches, Bexley:Operated what is now route 452 between Beverley Hills and Bexley, as the 112. The company carried a red and blue livery.
*Pleasure Tours:Operated routes 446 and 447 until 2005 when routes taken over by Punchbowl Bus Company.
*Revesby Bus and Coach Service:Routes taken over by Crossley Bus Lines
*Richmond Coaches:Routes absorbed by Westbus
*Riverside:Sold to State Transit in 2000.
*Rowe's Bus Service:Relaunched as Busways in 1988
*Southtrans:Taken over by Connex in the late 1990s. Now operates as Veolia Transport cite web| work=Veolia NSW | title=Veolia NSW | url=http://www.connexnsw.com.au | accessdate=25 August | accessyear=2006] .
* St Ives Bus Service:Operated until 1998 when its operations were split between Forest Coach Lines and Shorelink cite web| work=Bus Australia | title=St Ives bus Lines | url=http://www.busaustralia.com/fleetlists/stives.htm | accessdate=25 August | accessyear=2006] .
* Sydney Coachlines:Routes taken over by Pioneer and Sydney Buses
* Transit First Bus Service:Operated services in South West Sydney, operations bought by Veolia Transport.
* West Bankstown Bus Service:Operated routes 935, 936 and 937 until 2003, routes taken over by Transit First
* Western Road Bus Service:Operated in Wentworthville until 1987, taken over by Baxters
* Westway Bus and Coach Service:Relaunched as Transit First in 2003
* Windsor Towns

Notes and References

External links

* [http://www.busandtruckmuseum.org.au Sydney Bus and Truck Museum]
* [http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/busreform Unsworth Bus Reform Programme]
* [http://www.baxtersbus.com.au Baxters Bus Lines (Holroyd Bus Lines)]
* [http://www.blue-ribbon.com.au Blue Ribbon Coaches]
* [http://www.buslink.net.au Bus Link (Crowthers)]
* [http://www.busways.com.au Busways]
* [http://www.caringbahbus.com.au Caringbah Bus Service]
* [http://www.dions.com.au Dion's Bus Service]
* [http://www.forestcoachlines.com.au Forest Coach Lines]
* [http://www.hillsbus.com.au Hillsbus]
* [http://www.hopkinsons.com.au Hopkinsons]
* [http://www.interlinebus.com.au Interline Bus and Coach Services]
* [http://www.jonesbros.com.au Jones Bros Bus Company]
* [http://www.metrolink.com.au Metrolink Bus Lines (Oliveri's)]
* [http://www.punchbowlbus.com.au Punchbowl Bus Co.]
* [http://www.rovercoaches.com.au Rover Coaches]
* [http://www.shorelink.com.au Shorelink]
* [http://www.stuartscoaches.com.au Stuarts Coaches]
* [http://www.transitfirst.com.au Transit First Bus Service]
* [http://www.connexnsw.com.au Veolia NSW]
* [http://www.westbus.com.au Westbus]