Northern Beaches Council has introduced new clothing guidelines for passengers using its free Hop, Skip and Jump community bus service, following complaints from regular users about beachgoers boarding in swimwear. This policy change affecting Sydney’s Northern Beaches free community bus service was first reported in the Daily Telegraph.
Under the updated approach, passengers wearing bikinis or shirtless attire may be refused entry unless they cover up before boarding the 30-seat shuttle buses that service the Manly and Balgowlah area.
The change follows feedback from other passengers, many of whom are elderly and use the service regularly, who raised concerns about hygiene and comfort.
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Deputy mayor Candy Bingham says the council had received reports that young people were travelling to and from nearby beaches in minimal swimwear.
“The girls get on and all they have on is their bikinis,” Bingham says. “People are worried about the hygiene aspect when they sit on the seats.
“And the swimmers, wet from the beach and covered in sand, make a mess and leave the seats damp.”
Bingham acknowledged that while “thong-style” swimmers were now in fashion, it was inappropriate for wear on public transport.
“The swimwear is really confronting for some of them,” she says, referring to older passengers who make up a significant proportion of the service’s users.
Signage has begun appearing along the route, including near Little Manly Beach, advising passengers: “Please dress appropriately. Clothing must be worn over swimwear.”
The Hop, Skip and Jump service operates as a free circular shuttle from Balgowlah Village shopping centre through Manly Wharf and nearby beaches, including Manly Cove and Little Manly.
Council has stated that, as an accredited public transport service, the operation falls under legislation allowing drivers to refuse carriage where a passenger’s clothing is “likely to dirty or damage the vehicle, or cause inconvenience or damage to other passengers or the driver”.
This may include wet or sandy clothing that affects the cleanliness and comfort of the council’s “shared transport environment”.
Drivers may also refuse entry when buses are at capacity, including when larger groups are travelling to popular destinations such as Little Manly.
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