Our Shire and region needs a radical shakeup of public transport. There are entire sections between towns such as Byron and Bangalow without bus shelters, pull over bays, signs, or any indication to residents or visitors that a bus service exists.
People getting on and off town services need the convenience to be able to do so in town centres, not lugging shopping and luggage to the periphery.
The largest cohort of bus users, school children, are left unprotected on roadsides while millions of dollars are spent turning our hinterland roads into ‘speedways’.
Services are few and poorly connected, substantially reducing real travel options for residents and visitors. Our rail line can link services, but remains unloved by the State government.
Promotion of existing services is so minimal as to be practically non-existent. The TFNSW ‘trip planner’ is unable to update timetable information, leading to hundreds of buses not showing up in search results in recent months.
Funding for the one on-ground public transport person for the entire region has been pulled by the State government. It is no coincidence that these issues have become worse since. The lack of care and understanding of our needs is squeezing the remaining life and usefulness of our public transport networks.
Buses support our communities by providing access within local economies for everyone, reducing demand for parking in town centres, as well as helping to reduce congestion and carbon emissions. Many have recently discovered, through the loss of cars and usual travel routes, that a decent public transport network can be a vital resource – now and into the future.
Moving Byron tackles these issues and more. Make your submissions now on Council’s ‘Your Say’ website.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
