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Rear-boarding in Sydney

Boarding at the rear and middle doors permitted at certain bus stops in Sydney CBD trial

Bus passengers are now allowed to board at the rear during the afternoon peak at seven Sydney city stops, as part of a 10-day trial.

The trial started on Monday and is aimed at improving traffic flow in the CBD, reducing waiting times for passengers at bus stops for and should streamline the boarding process.

NSW minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance says the 10-day trial will only apply at selected bus stops during the afternoon peak of 4pm to 7pm.

“Long boarding times at busy bus stops are having a knock-on effect for traffic right across the city, adding to the congestion nightmare,” he says.

“By reducing the time buses are stopped, journey times will reduce, reliability will improve and all traffic will get a smoother run through the city.”

Something must be done to improve the efficiency of bus transport in the Sydney city-centre, as demand for services skyrockets, Constance says.

“With an extra 1.6 million people expected to live and work in Sydney by 2031, we need to work now on practical solutions to accommodate this growth and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“We’ll be closely monitoring this trial and consider whether it can apply more broadly in the CBD.”

Boarding via rear doors will only be available with an Opal card and when a marshal is present; to keep an eye on passengers and ensure everyone is safely on-board before the driver pulls away.

Marshals will signal to drivers when its safe for them move on, since it can sometimes be difficult for drivers to monitor the rear doors in some circumstances.

The bus stops included in the trial are on Druitt, Clarence, York, George and Elizabeth streets.

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