busnews.com.au May 2018 ABC^15ABC-HH-5209718-TS-BRIDGE BUS TRIAL EXTENDED
A FREE BAYLINK SHUTTLE BUS trial -
providing a handy link with 10-minute
frequency between Rhodes and
Wentworth Point in Sydney for the past
three months – has been extended until
31 May, it was recently announced, with
organisers still seeking valuabe feedback
to help Parramatta Council determine if
it should be continued.
Launched on 29 January, 2018, the
trial is expected to have seen around
150,000 passengers use the service
by the time it was to originally end on
27 April, according to a Wentworth
Point landowners alliance made
up of the Billbergia Group, Sekisui
House, Homebush Bay Holding’s and
Homebush Bay Properties.
However, although online commuter
feedback seems mostly positive of the
free popular service itself, not all of
the 11,000 Wentworth Point locals are
convinced of the property devoloper’s
intent, with some critics taking to socialmedia to raise doubts about the long-
term implications of the plan.
Commenting via the Wentworth
Point Community Central Facebook
page, respondant Elaine Tan said, “If this
means more apartments will be built in
exchange for it, then forget it,” she said.
Another, Jingsheng Li, said, “I MUST
highlight to everyone who is filling up
the [feedback] survey that the trial
is part of the Billbergia’s proposal for
future development - which means its
intention to put even higher density to
WWP [Wentworth Point], e.g. you would
end up [seeing] 35+ storey towers ...
one day.
“It is NOT just about promoting public
transport, saving the earth..etc, there is
irreversible cost [to] the community ... to
enjoy today’s convenience provided by
the developer!”
The future of the Baylink Shuttle
service is currently under discussion with
City of Parramatta Council, with the trialdue to finish at the end of April, 2018.
As part of a review of the trial,
Billbergia has commissioned
surveys (https://www.research.net/r/
keepbaylink and https://www.research.
net/r/baylink) to help understand how
people travel to and from Wentworth
Point for work, and whether continuing
the Baylink Shuttle will help move more
people onto public transport.
According to the website www.
homebusbaybridge.com.au, an update
about the ongoing operation of the bus
service will be provided once discussions
with Council have progressed.