Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart has described the standard of bus services in the Sutherland Shire since July 1 this year as ‘dismal’.

The former NSW Government signed a contract at the turn of the year to award the new contract to provider, U-Go Mobility.

Mrs Stuart has received several hundred complaints regarding the services in the past two months.

Those complaints included student services failing to show and elderly residents being stranded on the side of the road for hours.

In one case, a resident undergoing chemotherapy missed her treatment due to a bus failing to show.

Today, Mrs Stuart moved a notice of motion in the Legislative Assembly today to:

1.             Acknowledge the vital bus role drivers play in keeping our community moving

2.             Condemns the former government for awarding the contract for Sutherland Shire local bus services to U-Go Mobility – prioritising price over passengers

3.             Recognises U-Go Mobility’s performance has been dismal and resulted in a plethora of cancelled and late services which have left passengers, including students and the elderly, stranded

4.             Congratulates the Minns Government for establishing the Bus Taskforce and cleaning up the former government’s mess

Quotes attributable to Maryanne Stuart, Member for Heathcote:

“The situation regarding bus services in Sutherland Shire since July 1 has been nothing short of diabolical.

“There is a duty of care to ensure students can get to and from school safely but for that to occur, bus services need to show up when they are meant to.

“I have said it before all we want is a bus service that shows up on time.

“It is not that hard.

“The former government, including the Member for Miranda and the Member for Cronulla, also need to take responsibility for this mess given it was their government that signed the contract with U-Go Mobility.”