2010 was a busy year for ACTION. A new network, new buses, a reopened depot, withdrawal of older buses, the testing of its new Smartcard ticketing system, heated negotiations on enterprise agreements, and more.
January
- Chief Minister Stanhope officially opens the Mawson Park and Ride facility on the 21st.
- ACT Magistrate Beth Campbell finds an ACTION Driver failed to comply with his safety duty after a park brake was disengaged resulting in Bus 997 colliding with the Kippax Medical Centre after rolling 35 metres from where it was parked.
- New Buses Delivered: 404, 405
- Buses Entering Service: 403
February
- The CPSU backs an ACT Government proposal to include free bus travel for ACT Government Public Servants as part of wage renegotiations
- New Buses Delivered: 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 464, 490
March
- Bus 490, a Scania K230UB Evaluation Bus delivered last month, enters service. It will stay with ACTION for twelve months.
- The possibility of a bus lane on Wentworth Avenue is flagged
- The ACT Government investigate the possibility of establishing Satellite Depots to improve efficiencies.
- New Buses Delivered: 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 465, 466
- Buses Entering Service: 405, 406, 407, 490
April
- Bus 464, the first of the new 14.5m Steer Tag Buses from Scania, enters service.
- Woden Depot is recommissioned and becomes home to the Special Needs Transport Fleet of Minibuses, as well as a delivery point for all new buses and for storage of withdrawn buses.
- The rollout of the MyWay Smartcard ticketing system begins.
- New Buses Delivered: 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 467, 468, 469
- Buses Entering Service: 408, 409, 410, 464
May
- Chief Minister Stanhope hails the REDEX trial as a success
- Independent benchmarking reveals that ACTION is operating $31million above the efficiency benchmark annually. The union claims the timing of the report’s release was ‘provocative’ as it was in the midst of negotiations for the new enterprise agreement.
- New Buses Delivered: 425, 426
- Buses Entering Service: 411, 412
June
- The Government releases a ten year infrastructure plan
- The Greens accuse the Government of abandoning its interest in attracting bicycle riders to ACTION Buses
- Bus drivers strike on the 25th resulting in commuter chaos.
- New Buses Delivered: 427, 470
- Buses Entering Service: 413, 414, 465
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 755, 756, 758
July
- Poetry in ACTION returns for its fourth year.
- Bus fares are increased on 1 July.
- Bus 351 is involved in a fatal collision on Erindale Drive, Wanniassa.
- A campaign is launched to encourage use of the Park & Ride and Bike & Ride programs.
- New Buses Delivered: 428, 429, 471
- Buses Entering Service: 415, 417, 418, 419
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 754, 760, 762
August
- The ACT Auditor-General hands down the results of an audit conducted into ACTION which concludes that “TAMS has not coordinated and managed bus services delivered by ACTION in an effective manner.”
- The ACT Government agrees to a request from the Greens to trial extended late night bus services this summer
- New Buses Delivered: 430, 431, 432, 434, 472
- Buses Entering Service: 416, 420, 421, 422, 466, 468
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 763, 764
September
- Deanes 32 is involved in an accident at the intersection of Statton St and Ashley Drive on 7 September. Three young men in a Mitsubishi Lancer that collided with the bus are injured. The bus driver and passengers are unhurt.
- New Buses Delivered: 433, 435, 436, 473, 474
- Buses Entering Service: 423, 424, 425, 467
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 752
October
- The Kingston Bus Depot is added to the ACT Heritage Register
- 982 suffers structural damage after a collision with a garbage truck.
- New Buses Delivered: 439, 475
- Buses Entering Service: 426, 427, 469, 470, 471
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 765, 768
November
- Interim Stations in Cameron Avenue and Lathlain St are decommissioned following the final service on 14 November
- Network 2010 commences on 15 November
- Belconnen Community Station and Westfield Bus Station begin use on 15 November.
- The Intertown service is renamed to Blue Rapid, whilst the REDEX Trial is made a permanent service and renamed Red Rapid.
- New Buses Delivered: 437, 438, 440, 441
- Buses Entering Service: 428, 429, 430, 431
- Buses Withdrawn from Service: 770
December
- The Nightrider service returns for 2010 with the contract for operation of the service being awarded to Deanes Transit Group and is extended to run on weekends all summer.
- The Canberra Times reports that on average, fifteen services have been canceled each day since 1 July.
- Queanbeyan City Council agrees in principle to the relocation of Queanbeyan Bus Interchange
- Bus 946 is fitted with a trial LED destination display.
- New Buses Delivered: 442, 443, 444
- Buses Entering Service: 472
This page was last updated on 13 August 2022