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Punchbowl Bus Company

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-118143

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)


Punchbowl Bus Company

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:02:59):

I recognise an outstanding local business that is run in partnership with Transport for NSW—Punchbowl Bus Company. Thanks to Punchbowl Bus Company, our region has some of the most reliable and efficient bus networks in the State. In December 2020 external findings found that the company had 98.3 per cent of services run on time, and this increased to 99.1 per cent in January this year. Whether one is catching a bus to work, school or for whatever purpose, I believe it is fundamental that everyone has access to a reliable bus service. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when strict social distancing requirements were in place, the company still managed to run its services like clockwork. In April 2020 it recorded an efficiency rate of 99.9 per cent, meaning that its services were seemingly without fault. Each and every member of staff should be extremely proud of that statistic. Currently the company runs in excess of 5,000 trips across the region every week, which is truly impressive.

The services operate from Hurstville to Bankstown to Canterbury and everywhere in between. They are an asset to the transport network of the Greater Sydney region. The Punchbowl Bus Company was established in 1947 and will soon celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary. In this time it has streamlined local services, provided additional services to cater for the needs of nearby residents and continued to provide a safe and reliable journey for all. Currently it employs over 200 staff within our region, with a team comprising individuals from 28 different nationalities. When our community has needed the Punchbowl Bus Company, it has been there to assist. In 2016 the Punchbowl Bus Company helped facilitate the provision of a direct bus service for local students to the Inaburra School in Bangor. More recently it has also been influential in the provision of a direct bus service for students travelling to the Penshurst Marist College campus in South Hurstville. To be externally recognised as one of the State's best bus services is no easy feat. With a number of privately owned and public services operating every day, competition is tough.

However, the Punchbowl Bus Company has consistently come out on top. Over the difficult past 12 to 18 months that we have endured, the team has continued to provide services with sufficient social distancing provisions and passenger hygiene requirements. The frontline staff in particular have risked their own lives to ensure that members of the public can navigate through the community safely. Members of our entire community are grateful for the staff's service, as they are for the commitment of all frontline workers throughout the State. The Punchbowl Bus Company also has solid plans for the future surrounding the introduction of electric buses to minimise its carbon footprint. I look forward to seeing that innovation become a reality. It is fantastic news for our State's environmental outlook, the reliability of our local services and the overall passenger experience.

The company has also utilised and implemented low-floor buses and on-demand services to greater meet the needs of local residents, particularly the elderly, the vulnerable and those in need. The incorporation of those technologies led to the organisation being awarded the 2018 Innovative Operator of the Year, which is an outstanding achievement. In 2019 the Punchbowl Bus Company was also chosen by New South Wales metropolitan customers as the number one private operator for both satisfaction and low levels of dissatisfaction. Whether it be additional and more direct bus routes, increased service reliability or its commitment to helping others through adversity, the Punchbowl Bus Company is assisting local residents each and every day. I thank Hamish Fraser, Steve Scott Jr, Steve Scott Sr, Alex Murray and the entire team for continuing to champion improvements to our local bus service network. Our community is extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment and service.