A UNIFIED solution to Wauchope’s bus woes may soon be a step closer.
Port Macquarie Country Labor and Mrs Billie Scott, who collected signatures on a petition opposing some recent Busways changes, are meeting with the Wauchope Chamber of Commerce, Wauchope Hospital, the CEO of the Bundaleer Nursing Home and Cr Lisa Intemann to discuss a way forward.
The secretary of Port Macquarie Labor, Colleen Carmody, said the aim of the meetings was to try and come up with a unified voice so they could put a joint submission to Busways regarding routes.
“Since Busways introduced their trial Hastings network route at the end of May this year, the number of commuters has dropped, due to uncertainty, lack of signage and changes which had not been anticipated by the general public,” Ms Carmody said.
She said Wauchope residents were used to the bus travelling in one direction only and at a time convenient to get children to school and to get down to the shops.
“The new route alternated between a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction for the buses, which arrived an hour later,” she said.
Ms Carmody said Mrs Billie Scott, a regular bus user, organised a petition and asked Port Macquarie Labor to help with the campaign because they had successfully lobbied Busways to have the Clarence Street bus stop in Port Macquarie reinstated.
Mrs Scott ended up gathering 1500 signatures from Wauchope residents and the petition was then forwarded to Busways and Transport NSW.
Ms Carmody said Busways had since agreed to reinstate the unidirectional bus route, but had not agreed to reinstate the old route through the CBD, stopping in front of the library.
“Nor does this new route stop in front of the Wauchope Hospital,” she said.
“Rather it stops at the back of the hospital, causing commuters to walk through the Bundaleer Nursing Home grounds in order to access the back of the hospital.
“The Wauchope Hospital has now erected a fence for building renovations which may last for 12 months and the hospital does not consider it a safe practice for pedestrians to enter from Johnstone Street.“
Ms Carmody said once they had come with a unified submission they would take their concerns to NSW Transport if they could not reach a satisfactory agreement with Busways.
