The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) is backing City of Newcastle’s (CN) push to put its buses into public hands again.
Not surprisingly, following continual industrial action and stalled negotiations between the RTBU and Keolis over several issues, council finally felt compelled to act.
And, councillors supported an amended Notice of Motion at their meeting on Tuesday 25 March to express their concerns to Minister for Transport John Graham and local state MPs Tim Crakanthorp (Newcastle), Jodie Harrison (Charlestown) and Sonia Hornery (Wallsend).
They’re requesting the NSW Government not only take the contract from the current private operator, but to also provide increased funding to create a quality service worthy of NSW’s second largest city.
The union applauded the move.
“It’s a clear signal that local leaders are listening to the community,” RTBU NSW Tram and Bus Division president Peter Grech said.
“To say the privatised system in Newcastle has failed Novocastrians is an understatement.
“Services have gone backwards, reliability has suffered and workers are being pushed to the brink.
“Now, we’ve got local councillors saying ‘enough is enough’.
“The community, employees and now elected representatives are lining up behind one simple idea – buses should run for people, not profit.”
Mr Grech said the upcoming expiry of the current contract presented a critical opportunity for the NSW Government.
“The state’s already signalled interest in bringing buses back into public hands – now we need a rock-solid commitment that it’ll happen when the deal ends,” he added.
“This is the moment to fix the failed privatisation experiment and rebuild a network Newcastle can rely on again.”
Mr Grech said growing cost-of-living pressures and the global fuel crisis made investment in public transport as urgent as ever.
“As petrol prices rise, more people will turn to it,” he explained.
“However, the system must be ready.
“We need more frequent, more reliable services right across Newcastle and the Hunter so people can make the switch from driving.
“That means cheaper fares and proper investment, alongside bringing buses back into public hands.
“You can’t meet growing demand with a system that’s been run down.
“The council motion should be a wake-up call to the NSW Government to lock in a public takeover and deliver a transport system that works for the region’s future.”
The McKell Institute and the RTBU will host an in-depth review of the Private Gain, Public Pain report at NSW Parliament on Wednesday 25 March.
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