State Transit Authority

Ansair bodied Scania L113TRB 14.5-metre

Custom Coaches bodied Scania K280UB

In view of its political sensitivity, the agencies responsible for public transport in New South Wales are frequently restructured. Buses and ferries were the responsibility of the Department of Government Transport until 1972, when it was merged with the Department of Railways New South Wales to form the Public Transport Commission.

In July 1980, the Transport Authorities Act 1980 (NSW) separated the functions of the Public Transport Commission with the State Rail Authority taking responsibility for trains, and the Urban Transit Authority responsibility for buses and ferries.[1]

In January 1989, the Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) restructured the Urban Transit Authority as the State Transit Authority, taking over the private bus service functions of the Department of Motor Transport.[2] In October 1989, the Chullora Bus Workshops closed with a smaller facility established at Randwick for mechanical repairs with body repairs contracted to the private sector. The remaining four hydrofoils were replaced by three JetCats and the MetroTen ticketing system introduced a few years before was replaced with the Automated Fare Collection System. The Opal card ticketing system was rolled out from 2013.

In December 1999, North & Western Bus Lines was purchased followed in February 2000 by Parramatta-Ryde Bus Service.[3][4]

In 2004, the STA's Sydney Ferries business was separated into a separate agency, Sydney Ferries Corporation. In January 2005 most of former Harris Park Transport routes were taken over from Hillsbus, which were then returned to Hillsbus in September 2005 with the exception of routes 623, 624, 628 and 629. On 13 October 2013, the Western Sydney Buses route T80 was taken over by private operator Transit Systems.[5]

Bus services in Sydney were operated under the Sydney Buses brand until 2016, when rebranded as State Transit.

Until 30 June 2017, State Transit also operated services in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie through Newcastle Buses & Ferries. These services are now operated by Newcastle Transport.[6]

In February 2018, Transit Systems won the tender to take over State Transit's Sydney Bus Region 6 from 1 July 2018, including Burwood, Kingsgrove, Leichhardt and Tempe depots and 600 buses.[7] In October 2019, it was announced that State Transit's remaining three bus regions are to be contracted out in early 2020.[8]

The State Transit Authority also comprised three former business units.

Western Sydney Buses

Western Sydney Buses Custom Coaches CB60 bodied Volvo B12BLE in Liverpool in July 2013

Formed in 2003, Western Sydney Buses operated route T80, a bus rapid transit service in Western Sydney on the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way. Passengers made 2.77 million journeys with Western Sydney Buses in the 2011/12 financial year.[10] Western Sydney Buses operated out of a corner of Westbus' Bonnyrigg depot.[11]

In November 2012, Transit Systems won the tender for Sydney Bus Region 3 which included route T80 with the service and 22 buses transferring on 13 October 2013.[11][12]

Newcastle Buses & Ferries

Main article: Newcastle Buses & Ferries

MV Shortland operating the Stockton ferry service in July 2006

Newcastle Buses & Ferries was a bus and ferry service operator in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. It operated 28 bus routes plus a ferry service across the Hunter River between Queens Wharf and Stockton. The network radiated from a bus terminal near Newcastle station. Major interchanges were located at the University of Newcastle, Wallsend, Glendale, Warners Bay, Belmont, Charlestown Square and Westfield Kotara.

Newcastle Buses & Ferries ceased trading on 30 June 2017, with Newcastle Transport taking over.[6]

State Transit operates services in Sydney Metropolitan contract regions 7, 8 and 9.

For school bus services, State Transit uses 5/6/7xx series route numbers suffixed with E for East, N for North and W for West, while 89x routes are used for University of New South Wales services.[13] However, these numbers may also be used by other operators for normal services.

Pressed Metal Corporation bodied Mercedes-Benz O405

As of April 2020, the fleet consists of 1,424 buses operating from eight depots.[14]

State Transit inherited a fleet of approximately 1,600 Leyland Leopards, Mercedes-Benz O305s, Mercedes-Benz O405s and MAN SL202s from the Urban Transit Authority. New buses have primarily been purchased from Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Volvo.

In the early 1990s, State Transit adopted a white and blue livery with a red stripe. This livery with minor variations was retained until 2010, when the Transport for NSW white and blue livery was adopted. Buses dedicated to Metrobus services are painted in a red livery.

In 2017, State Transit purchased its first double-decker buses for use on B-Line services. These are painted in a yellow and blue livery.[15]

The current fleet is located below[14]

Chassis	Body	Year		Number	Notes
Scania L113CRB	Ansair Orana	1994/95		5	Compressed Natural Gas
Scania L113CRL	Ansair Orana	1996–1998	✓	53
Volvo B10BLE	APG Orana	1997/98	✓	28
Volvo B10BLE	Phoenix Bus Orana	1998-2000	✓	34
Mercedes-Benz O405	Custom Coaches 516	1998		4	ex North & Western Bus Lines
Mercedes-Benz O405NH	Custom Coaches Citaro	1999–2002	✓	77	Compressed Natural Gas
Volvo B12BLE Euro 3	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo I	2003–2007	✓	78
Volvo B12BLE Euro 3	Volgren CR228L	2004/05	✓	47
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 3	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo I	2005/06	✓	77
Volvo B12BLE Euro 5	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2007–2011	✓	194
Mercedes-Benz O500LE CNG	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2007–2011	✓	184	Compressed Natural Gas
Scania K310UB 14.5-metre	Volgren CR228L	2008	✓	1
Mercedes-Benz O500LE Euro 5	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2009/10	✓	20
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 5	Volgren CR228L	2010/11	✓	88
Volvo B7RLE	Custom CB80 Series I	2011–2013	✓	100
Scania K280UB	Custom CB80 Series I	2012/13	✓	46
Mercedes-Benz OC500LE Euro 5	Custom CB80 Series I	2009	✓	1	ex demonstrator, replacement from Mercedes
Scania K280UB	Bustech VST	2014–2016	✓	69
Scania K280UB	Bustech VSTM	2014/15	✓	27
Iveco Metro	Volgren Optimus	2014/15	✓	7
Volvo B7RLE	Bustech VST	2015	✓	19
Scania K310UB	Bustech VST	2016	✓	14
Volvo B7RLE	Custom CB80 Series II	2016/17	✓	14
Volvo B8RLE	Custom CB80 Series II	2017, 2019/20	✓	48
MAN ND323F	Gemilang Coachworks Double-Decker	2017	✓	38
Volvo B8RLE	Volgren Optimus	2018/19	✓	54
Volvo B8RLE	Bustech VST	2019/20	✓	46
Scania K310UB	Custom CB80 Series II	2018/19	✓	51

State Transit operate eight depots:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sydney Buses.

• State Transit Authority – corporate information
• Transport for NSW – corporate information