Leader readers have their say about U-Go Mobility services

At the start of this week, the bus company was still 75 drivers short, and 314 trips (11.9 per cent) each week are suspended under a temporary timetable.

Transport for NSW has stepped in to help manage day-to-day operations.

The private contractor, U-Go is running a disgraceful service and should be stripped of its contract. They are clearly not up to the task they have been contracted to fulfil.

I, like many others, have experienced cancelled services on the 977 route, the timetabling isn't being adhered to and it appears drivers are even switching off the Opal card readers to cover up their late running times.

I also experienced a 969 bus driver displaying a "not in service" sign, but when the driver observed me photographing the bus, he immediately switched on his destination sign and pulled in to the stop outside Caringbah Station.

Clearly he had intended driving past the stop and possibly others to make up time, until he saw me photographing his bus to time stamp its late running. The next bus to arrive was the 3.38pm, 977 bus, it pulled in ten minutes late and again had the Opal card reader closed.

At Miranda bus interchange, I asked a bus marshal what had happened to a scheduled bus service, which had failed to arrive, and he rudely told me he didn't care about that number bus, it was of no interest to him.

This was far from adequate customer service. Transport NSW must act to investigate the poor and at times non existent service these private operator cowboys are inflicting on this area. This is the major problem of "for profit" private operators.

Services suffer to ensure their profitability and customers are left without adequate transport services. Using driver shortages as an excuse makes one wonder where all the previous Transdev drivers have gone.

Millions of taxpayer dollars are being funnelled from the NSW government to private providers, when the government would do better to take all depots and buses back into State control.

Mark Berg, Caringbah South

U- go claim to reinvent transportation and indeed they have. As a customer of more than 20 years I have never experienced such large scale disruption to services.

Prior to this debacle, shire services were provided by Menai and Taren Point depots. Now shire routes have been mixed in with routes across Hurstville, Kingsgrove and Bankstown. Will a delay in Bankstown affect a shire route?

Our friendly welcoming drivers have been replaced by expressionless faces from other depots. Having a few new drivers always causes some problems but this is unprecedented. Drivers don't know the route, the timing points or where they can make up or lose time.

Buses have been suspended, cancelled, early, late or just don't show. When buses run late the driver may be instructed to do a "dead run" to the destination leaving customers stranded.

Many off peak passengers rely on the bus service for all their needs including specialist medical appointments.

They do not have access to live tracking data (which lately seems to be largely unavailable) and will be left waiting usually for an hour without shelter or seating until the next service arrives.

Please bring back our drivers. Already many have left because they were unhappy with the shift changes and the lack of consultation.

Name supplied, Oyster Bay

My daughter was waiting at the Sutherland bus terminal this afternoon. The 5 30pm to Woronora was a no show, but on her phone she saw it was supposed to have passed certain bus stops.

There was no bus marshal there either. It' s becoming serious now as people are getting angry at drivers. Seems there are big problems in the company.

David Stakes, Woronora

Can somebody find out why Transdev, the previous operator of bus services now being run by U-Go Mobility, were able to operate services on a daily basis but this new operator is blaming shortage of bus drivers.

Today I am having problems even finding a timetable for the 971 bus service from Hurstville to Cronulla and returning. The quality of the buses on many services in the shire appears to have changed, to very old buses, whereas Transdev were updating their bus fleet. Have buses been moved from one depot to another?

Sue

My son has been abandoned at school with no bus at least five times in the last two weeks. Below is the response that I got when I complained - details on how to apply for a job as a bus driver. What a joke not even an apology, no accountability.

Hugh

How much longer do we have to put up with this excuse of a Bus company. Our 965 Woronora service is a now you see it now you don't.

Yesterday's 4.40pm from Sutherland...missing; todays 11.48am to Sutherland....missing. Was on TripView and it vanished. To where?

I should charge them petrol for the amount of trips to and from the station per day. This cannot go on.

David Stakes, Woronora

Saw your article about u go mobility bus service and not showing up in Sutherland Shire.

Same thing is happening in Bexley to Hurstville bus service 452. My daughter's bus has been cancelled the last few days and has been late for school.

She is in Year 12 and has her HSC Trials next week so she cannot rely on this bus service anymore, that was never an issue when it was with Transdev company.

I was told by a bus driver that the drivers are still learning the routes. Not sure how that affects bus timetable.

We were also notified by the school yesterday that the 452 will no longer be picking up Bethany College Hurstville students from Forest Road bus stop which is directly across the school which Sydney Technical High School boys catch too ,not sure if they were told the same.

This really needs to be sorted out as the bus company doesn't seem to care.

Sophia De Sousa

RELATED

Bus company's response to 'show cause' letter