Media Release: Chris Steel MLA, 5 February 2020
Improvements to public transport services will be made across Canberra with more direct connections for rapid and local services between Town Centres and changes to timings across the 7-day network. The network update will commence in Term 2 2020.
“In April 2019 the Government introduced a new transport network with 21% more weekday services and 10 rapid routes,” said Minister for Transport, Chris Steel.
“With more frequent services, more Canberrans have been using public transport, with a 7.1% increase in journeys in the last quarter compared with the previous year.
“The ACT Government has always said that we would monitor the operation of the new network, listen to feedback, and make changes where necessary.
“During the first 6 months of operations we’ve been listening to the community and analysing the transport data.
“The Government has listened to issues raised, and we’re making changes to the bus network to encourage even more people to use public transport.
“These changes will improve travel times and connections with major Town Centres and places of interest and address some of key issues raised by the community since the introduction of Network 19.”
Changes to the network:
- faster journeys to the City from central Tuggeranong, saving up to 15 minutes each way on the Rapid 5
- more frequent buses from Woden to the City, with Rapid 4 and Rapid 5 running the same direct route to the city
- a new Route 59 connecting Barton and Russell from Woden and the City
- direct local services from Tuggeranong to Woden via the Canberra Hospital
- direct local services from Palmerston, Crace, Nicholls and Casey to Belconnen
- improved services for Giralang, Kaleen and McKellar, with more routes and direct local services to Gungahlin
- better access to Mitchell with Route 18 extended to Dickson, reducing the need for passengers to make multiple transfers
- better connections and travel time savings from a timetable change across the network
- increased weekend services which will see local route frequency increased on Saturdays.
The Government is aiming to commence the Network Update on 28 April 2020 subject to consultation currently taking place with the workforce to finalise driver shifts. It is expected the new timetable will be released around mid-March.
Commencing in term 2, improvements will be made to some school services to increase capacity and provide better services following discussions with schools. Detailed timetables and other information will be provided to school communities ahead of the new changes commencing.
Minister Steel said that since April last year 87 new bus drivers have finished training and commenced driving buses for Transport Canberra.
“With more bus drivers recruited the Government will increase the frequency of route bus services on Saturdays during the day,” Minister Steel said.
We will provide additional funding this year for a further 43 new drivers for the commencement of the new network, as well as an upgrade to Transport Canberra’s driver training facilities to help deliver frequent and reliable public transport as our city and network grows.
The updated network map can be viewed here
For more information please visit www.transport.act.gov.au
This page was last updated on 8 May 2021
