A new bus network in Coffs Harbour is now operational, with locals and visitors to the area encouraged to get onboard public transport.
From today, Coffs Harbour will receive weekday buses every 30 minutes between places such as Park Beach Plaza, Coffs Harbour CBD, and Southern Cross University.
Faster and more direct bus services between Coffs Harbour and northern beach suburbs are also available plus a new weekday peak express service between Macksville and Coffs Harbour.
More weekend and public holiday services, extra services to the airport, town bus services in the Bambara Drive housing estate for the first time along with the expansion of the Woopi Connect service have also been included.
NSW Transport north region director Anna Zycki welcomed a new timetable that includes more than 200 extra bus services each week.
“Coffs Harbour is a growing area, but getting around doesn’t have to involve getting in a car,” Zycki says.
“These new services have been designed so people can catch buses to places they want to get to, at the times they want to travel.
“It has been a huge undertaking because Coffs Harbour’s bus network is one of the state’s largest, covering an area from Grafton and Red Rock in the north, to Macksville and Grassy Head in the south, as well as Bellingen and Bowraville in the west.”
Zycki says that there are more ways to travel along with flexibility of on-demand transport with the expansion of the popular Woopi Connect service.
“We are hearing the public transport improvements being rolled out are already making a difference to social, economic and environmental wellbeing,” Zycki says.
Transport for NSW has worked closely with City of Coffs Harbour, Forest Coach Lines and Busways to plan the new bus network which is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s 16 Regional Cities Services Improvement Program.
“The improved and expanded bus network has created a total of 38 additional full-time and part-time bus driver jobs at operators Busways and Forest Coach Lines,” Zycki says.
“In recent weeks we have provided information updates to around 4,000 people in the Coffs Harbour area about the new bus network and how they can get on board. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”