The investment will continue the work to build better connected communities by creating new bus routes, expanding existing routes and reinstating bus routes that were slashed from the schedule by the former government.

More buses for growing communities

To address a chronic shortage on some of the busiest existing routes in Sydney, $56 million will be spent on 50 new articulated or 'bendy' buses to address capacity shortages in areas where passengers are currently spending too much time waiting to just get on a bus.

This includes parts of Ryde, Epping, Lane Cove, the Eastern Suburbs and the Northern Beaches.

Not a single bendy bus was purchased by the former Coalition government during its 12 years in office.

New and expanded bus routes

A $150 million budget boost will also provide more regular school bus services in the fast-growing outer suburbs of Sydney and some regional locations where transport infrastructure has lagged housing development.

The extra routes will be supported by a $26 million spend on new buses to make sure expanded timetables can be delivered.

Areas that will benefit from improved and additional services include:

• South-Western Sydney
• North-Western Sydney
• Illawarra
• Central Coast
• South Coast
• The Hunter

A new bus route is being created to connect the growing community at Macarthur Heights to Macarthur Station. Services will be introduced for the first time between Wilton and Campbelltown to support new housing growth.

Services improvements will provide more frequent buses between Liverpool and Parramatta and between Rouse Hill and Parramatta.

Reinstating bus routes

In 2021, the former Government cut the M52 bus, severing the direct link between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD through the Ryde area. Delivering on a Labor election commitment, the 500X service will be expanded to Parramatta, restoring this important connection.

The Minns Labor Government is working to improve the way our bus network connects to the rail system, with more people wanting their local bus to get them to a metro or rail stop for a faster commute.

Regional uplift

Investment in regional bus services will deliver:

• connections for essential workers and the community with regional health facilities
• new weekend services in a number of regional centres supporting the weekend economy and tourism
• cross-border bus connectivity with Queensland and Victoria
• improved school bus services.

Rebuilding domestic manufacturing

The Minns Labor Government is breaking from the last decade in which the former Liberal National Coalition preferred to buy trains, buses, and ferries straight off the shelf overseas, forgoing the opportunity to create local jobs and industry capacity.

As a result, rebuilding local manufacturing will take time, and after years of maintenance neglect and underinvestment in public transport, our priority is to get new buses on the road as fast as possible to support growing communities.

The 50 bendy buses, made by Scania-Volgren, will begin their life in Malaysia, but meet the Government’s target of 50 per cent local content as the bodies will be built domestically in Australia.

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“We have heard the message loud and clear that more buses and more bus services are needed in Sydney and regional NSW. This $150 million additional investment delivers on both counts.

“We are providing new and expanded services, as well as more school bus services, in the fastest growing regions of our state where often housing has outpaced the provision of public transport."

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“Investing in our bus network is part of our plan to deliver better connected communities.

“We’re rebuilding services between Parramatta and the city for thousands of commuters, and delivering better connections for growing regions from the Hunter to the Illawarra.”

Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said:

“This Budget puts regional communities at the heart of transport planning.

“We’re not just putting buses on roads, we’re building stronger, better-connected communities across regional NSW.

“This investment delivers new weekend services, better connections to essential services and cross-border links that will keep regional NSW moving.”