Your commute might be a lot less packed, but you may be waiting longer to get to your destination as only 12 people will be allowed on Sydney buses at a time.
Restrictions are starting to ease – hallelujah! We’ve all been on the edge of our seat wondering when we can finally rock up to the beach, or even get out of the house, and we’re finally getting there. But, don’t think that things will pop right back to normal, because transport is just one of the things on the list to still have some restrictions set.
Sydney-siders keen to hop on public transport to head into work, to the shops, or wherever will be subject to tight restrictions so that everyone can make sure they’re still social distancing while everyone gets back to their normal lives.
Keen to catch the bus? If you’re depending on a route that’s usually quite busy, you may be left waiting a while if many are already onboard as only 12 will be allowed on buses at a time.
During a press conference this morning, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian stated that commuters who typically don’t take public transport during peak ours shouldn’t go ahead and join up, and should remain travelling “in the off-peak,” with NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance pleading with customers to “walk, ride your bike, or drive instead.”
Outlining the new standards for safe capacities in the midst of a pandemic, Constance stated that two-door buses will only be able to carry 14% of it’s normal capacity, meaning that only 12 commuters will be allowed onboard.
Waratah trains are also subject to the new rules, with only 35 passengers allowed per carriage (24% of it’s typical capacity), while freshwater ferries will be limited to 245 passengers (22% of peak capacity).
With these new numbers in mind, Constance stated that the city’s public transport system will only be able to carry 550,000-600,000 commuters in comparison to its usual 2.2 million.
As the new restrictions will certainly cause more people to chose driving to the city rather than taking public transport, the NSW government is bringing a pop-up car park to Moore Park from the following Monday, May 25th where commuters can catch a shuttle light rail service into the CBD, as well as six pop-up bike lanes.
For full details, and to plan your travel, head over to the NSW Transport website.
