Bus fares on the Sapphire Coast to go down from today

Bus fares on the Sapphire Coast will drop from today thanks to results of an independent review of fares in NSW rural and regional areas.

Under the new pricing structure a single journey one-way fare from Eden to Pambula will drop from $9.20 to $4.90.

The Independent Pricing and Review Tribunal (IPART) says the new fare scaling system provides a more equitable fare relative to Sydney metropolitan areas and other states. It will also help increase the number of passengers able to access regional bus services.

Sapphire Coast Buslines Managing Director Jamie Klemm welcomes the move, describing it as a ‘win win’.

“This is a great initiative for customers and mitigates a major financial barrier for people who may want to use the bus but could not afford to do so,” she said. “For example NDIS customers have a travel allowance as part of their package and this change allows them to do more for less. This is a win-win situation.”

Mrs Klemm says she hopes the change will increase passenger numbers on their 23 daily route services to enable the bus company to can sustain and grow their services over the next 12 months.

The more people we have on our buses, the better the services we are able to provide.

For Sapphire Coast Buslines the changes will:

• Reduce the maximum fare levels by an average of 29% for almost all single journeys.
• Maintain fare levels for the shortest journeys at their current level.
• Maintain the current section-based fare structure for single journeys.
• Simplify the fare structure by consolidating the current 220 fare sections into 10 fare bands.
• Introduce a Daily Ticket type for each of the 10 fare bands.

Mrs Klemm says Sapphire Coast Buslines is committed to providing safe, reliable and accessible transport in the area.

“We work closely with Transport NSW and Minister for Transport and Member for Bega Andrew Constance to ensure our customers receive a higher level of service and that our transport assets are used more efficiently. We are continually exploring all areas where we can be part of a broader focus on improving the state’s transport systems.”

• Click HERE for Sapphire Coast Buslines route service timetables.