The Wollongong community has provided feedback and support for 3 new bus layover sites, with planning work set to continue in 2024.
A 3-week consultation period revealed support for the plan to relocate the existing bus layover at Marine Drive to 3 new sites in the Atchison Street car park, Wollongong Train Station car park and Oak Flats Train Station car park.
Transport for NSW received 328 survey responses and 7 submissions during the consultation period from 6 to 26 November 2023, with respondents including bus drivers (7.3% of respondents), bus users (25.3%) and car park users (30.5%).
Key themes included the need for suitable facilities for bus drivers along with concerns over congestion and a loss of car parking spaces.
The community was positive about the relocation of the Marine Drive bus layover and supportive of a site more centrally located in Wollongong CBD, closer to other modes of transport.
Transport for NSW, in collaboration with Wollongong City Council, local bus operators and the Transport Workers' Union, reviewed more than 20 locations as part of the site selection process and considered all necessary requirements including passenger outcomes, layover capacity, vehicle access, route coverage, adjacent land use, driver safety and access to facilities.
Design and planning work will progress on the new layover sites in 2024, including detailed bus service and operational planning to inform a business case to permanently relocate the bus layover to the new sites.
It is proposed that the project will be delivered in a staged process, with development of the Atchison Street car park site to be the first priority.
The site on Atchison Street will provide 11 bus parking spaces and facilities for bus drivers to rest and rejuvenate between shifts including bathrooms, kitchen facilities and space to relax. The community will be kept informed as the project progresses.
A community consultation summary report has been released and can be found on the Transport for NSW website.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:
"Bus layovers are an important part of bus operations. They ensure our drivers are safe, rested and comfortable, and have easy access to facilities like bathrooms and kitchens, which is a huge benefit for both drivers and passengers.
"Each selected site is located close to a train station and a bus stop, the natural starting and stopping point of many bus routes, reducing unnecessary extra trips between the final stop and the new layover."
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said:
"We have done a lot of careful work to make sure the community's voices were heard and transport needs understood during this consultation process, while balancing the essential needs of our frontline public transport workers.
"The move from a single layover site at Marine Drive to 3 layovers across the Illawarra will help local bus services continue to expand while supporting the Illawarra region into the future."
