Outer Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts

The Outer Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts (OSMBSC)[1] are contracts issued by the Government of New South Wales to bus operators in areas surrounding Sydney. These regions include the Hunter Region, Central Coast, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains. In 2016-17, 21.6 million passenger journeys were made on Outer Metropolitan bus services.[2]

History

Red Bus Services' Express bodied Iveco Metro in Transport for New South Wales livery in September 2013

The OSMBSC was initially made up of ten bus system contract regions, OSMBSC 1 to 10.[3] These regions were declared and appeared in the NSW Government Gazette on 1 August 2008.[3][4]

Unlike the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts which are put out to open tender, the government has indicated it does not intend to go down this path with the OSMBSCs, but negotiate with the incumbent operators.[5][6]

Like the bus contracts in Sydney, a requirement of the OSMBSC contracts is that operators cease using their own liveries and adopt a standardised white and two blues livery as prescribed by Transport for NSW. This livery was first implemented from 2010. As of 2014, the transition to the standardised livery is ongoing.

Originally regions OSMBSC 6 and OSMBSC 9 had two operators. [7] The ten regions eventually further split up into 12 regions, with each region having one operator. There was no change of operators or takeover of services between operators. However, Coastal Liner (now Hunter Valley Buses) continues to operate some trips on routes 78, 80, 91 and 98 in Busways region OSMBSC 6. [8][9][10][11]

The Newcastle Buses & Ferries contract for region 5 was renewed for three years from 1 July 2014.[12] Region 5 was eventually replaced by NISC 001, with Keolis Downer operating as Newcastle Transport taking over bus and ferry services from Newcastle Buses & Ferries in July 2017.

Regions

The list of regions and its respective operators in the Transport for NSW website.[7] The information is accurate as of June 2018.

Hunter, Newcastle & Central Coast

RegionLocationOperators
OSMBSC 1[13] Cessnock, Kurri Kurri Rover Coaches
OSMBSC 2[13] Maitland, Raymond Terrace Hunter Valley Buses
(ComfortDelGro Australia)
OSMBSC 3[13] Port Stephens Port Stephens Coaches
OSMBSC 4[13] Toronto, Wyee, Morisset Hunter Valley Buses
(ComfortDelGro Australia)
NISC 1
(formerly OSMBSC 5)		 Newcastle, Charlestown Newcastle Transport
(Keolis Downer)
OSMBSC 6[14] Wyong, Tuggerah, Gosford Busways
OSMBSC 7[14] Gosford, The Entrance Red Bus Services
OSMBSC 11 Wyong Hunter Valley Buses
(ComfortDelGro Australia)

OSMBSC 11 used to be part of OSMBSC 6, until it was created as a separate contract region.[14] OSMBSC 11 routes were formerly operated by Coastal Liner until it was acquired by ComfortDelGro Australia and its subsidiary Hunter Valley Buses on 1 August 2018.[15]

NISC 001 used to be OSMBSC 05 until July 2017, and was operated by Newcastle Buses & Ferries.

Blue Mountains

RegionLocationOperators
OSMBSC 8 Katoomba, Springwood, Penrith Blue Mountains Transit
(ComfortDelGro Australia)

Blue Mountains Transit routes were formerly operated by the Blue Mountains Bus Company until taken over by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge (now ComfortDelGro Australia) and its subsidiary Blue Mountains Transit in December 2014.

Illawarra

RegionLocationOperators
OSMBSC 9[16] Helensburgh Premier Charters
(Premier Transport Group)
OSMBSC 10[16] Wollongong South Premier Illawarra
(Premier Transport Group)
OSMBSC 12 Wollongong North Dion's Bus Service

Premier Charters' region 9 routes were operated by Green's Northern Coaches, until taken over by Premier Transport Group in February 2015. OSMBSC 12 used to be part of OSMBSC 9, until it was created as a separate contract region.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Buses and coaches, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 23 July 2016
  2. ↑ "Bus Patronage - Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 Outer Metropolitan Bus System Contract Regions Archived 2014-11-04 at the Wayback Machine., Transport for NSW, Retrieved 8 July 2014
  4. ↑ NSW Government Gazette 1 August 2008, Retrieved 8 July 2014
  5. ↑ Annual Report 2012 Bus & Coach Association NSW
  6. ↑ Bus Customers to Benefit from Outer Metropolitan Contract Negotiations Minister for Transport 27 April 2013
  7. 1 2 "Sydney Metropolitan and Outer Metropolitan Bus Service Contract on time running results". Transport for NSW. June 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Busways and Hunter Valley Buses route 78". Transport for NSW.
  9. ↑ "Busways and Hunter Valley Buses route 80". Transport for NSW.
  10. ↑ "Busways and Hunter Valley Buses route 91". Transport for NSW.
  11. ↑ "Busways and Hunter Valley Buses route 98". Transport for NSW.
  12. ↑ Annual Report 30 June 2014 page 89 State Transit Authority
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Outer Metropolitan Sydney Bus Contract Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4" (PDF). NSW Government Transport and Infrastructure. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "Outer Metropolitan Sydney Bus Contract Regions 6 and 7" (PDF). NSW Government Transport and Infrastructure. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "COMFORTDELGRO DEEPENS FOOTPRINT IN AUSTRALIA WITH TWO ACQUISITIONS TOTALLING A$134.45 MILLION". ComfortDelgro. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 "Outer Metropolitan Sydney Bus Contract Regions 9 and 10" (PDF). NSW Government Transport and Infrastructure. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
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