State Transit Authority

The State Transit Authority, also referred to as State Transit or STA, is an agency of the Government of New South Wales operating bus services in Sydney. The STA reports to the Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance. The current chief executive is Peter Rowley.^[1]

History

Bus stop on George Street

In view of its political sensitivity, the agencies responsible for public transport in New South Wales are frequently restructured. Buses and ferries were the responsibility of the Department of Government Transport until 1972, when it was merged with the New South Wales Government Railways to form the Public Transport Commission.

In July 1980 the Transport Authorities Act 1980 (NSW) separated the functions of the Public Transport Commission with the State Rail Authority taking responsibility for trains, and the Urban Transit Authority responsibility for buses and ferries.^[2]

In January 1989 the Urban Transit Authority was restructured as the State Transit Authority taking over the private bus service functions of the Department of Motor Transport.^[3] In October 1989, the Chullora Bus Workshops closed with a smaller facility established at Randwick for mechanical repairs with body repairs contracted to the private sector. The remaining four hydrofoils were replaced by three JetCats and the MetroTen ticketing system introduced a few years before was replaced with the Automated Fare Collection System in use today.

In December 1999 North & Western Bus Lines was purchased followed in February 2000 by Parramatta-Ryde Bus Service.^[4][5]

In 2004 the STA's Sydney Ferries business was separated into a separate agency, Sydney Ferries Corporation. In January 2005 most of former Harris Park Transport routes were taken over from Hillsbus, which were then given back to Hillsbus in September 2005 with the exception of routes 623, 624, 628 and 629. On 13 October 2013, the Western Sydney Buses was transferred to Transit Systems Sydney.

Until the end of June 2017, State Transit also operated services in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie through Newcastle Buses & Ferries. These services are now operated by Newcastle Transport.^[6]

Former units

The State Transit Authority also comprised three former business units.

Sydney Ferries

Sydney Ferries is the public transport authority for ferry services on Port Jackson in Sydney. It was established in 2004 as a government agency, separate of the State Transit Authority. Since July 2012 the provision of services has been contracted out to Harbour City Ferries.^[7]

Western Sydney Buses

Western Sydney Buses Custom Coaches CB60 bodied Volvo B12BLE in Liverpool in July 2013

Formed in 2003, Western Sydney Buses operated route T80, a bus rapid transit service in Western Sydney on the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way. Passengers made 2.77 million journeys with Western Sydney Buses in the 2011/12 financial year.^[8] Western Sydney Buses operated out of a corner of Westbus' Bonnyrigg depot.^[9]

In November 2012, Transit Systems Sydney won the tender for Sydney Bus Region 3 which included route T80 with the service and 22 buses transferring on 13 October 2013.^[9][10]

Newcastle Buses & Ferries

MV Shortland operating the Newcastle-Stockton ferry service in July 2006

Newcastle Buses & Ferries was a bus and ferry service operator in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. It operated 28 bus routes plus a ferry service across the Hunter River between Newcastle and Stockton. The network radiateed from a bus terminal near Newcastle station. Major interchanges were located at the University of Newcastle, Wallsend, Glendale, Warners Bay, Belmont, Charlestown Square and Westfield Kotara.

Newcastle Buses & Ferries ceased trading on 30 June 2017, with Keolis Downer trading as Newcastle Transport taking over.^[6]

Services

State Transit operates a number of high-profile services.

• Metrobus: high-frequency accessible buses with Sydney Buses operating M10, M20, M30, M40, M41, M50, M52 and M54^[11]
• L90: Limited Stops service connecting Palm Beach – Wynyard station with a journey length of 42 kilometres is the longest bus route operated by State Transit^[12]
• 200: Limited Stops service connecting Chatswood, North Sydney, Sydney CBD, Edgecliff and Bondi Junction
• 300: zero-fare late-night service connecting Kings Cross and Central station early on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
• 333: Bondi Beach – Circular Quay via Bondi Junction and Darlinghurst. It was the city's first prepay only limited stops bus service^[13]
• 373: a 24-hour service that operates between Coogee Beach, Randwick Junction, Moore Park, Darlinghurst and Circular Quay
• 380: a 24-hour service that operates between North Bondi, Bondi Beach, Bondi Junction, Paddington, Darlinghurst and Circular Quay
• 394: a 24-hour service that operates between Little Bay, Maroubra Junction, Kingsford, Darlinghurst and Circular Quay
• 400: Limited Stops service connecting Burwood, Sydney Airport, the University of New South Wales, Randwick Junction and Bondi Junction
• 410: a limited-stops service connecting Rockdale, Eastgardens, the University of New South Wales, Randwick Junction and Bondi Junction
• 418: a cross-country service between Burwood – Bondi Junction via Tempe and Randwick Junction
• 891: prepay express route connecting the CBD with the University of New South Wales^[14]

As of 2014/15, State Transit has not met its on-time running target in any of its four metropolitan contract regions for the last three years, although its performance has improved in three of the regions.^[15]

State Transit operates services in the following areas:

• 100 series – Northern Beaches
• 200 series – Northern District and North Shore
• 300 series – Eastern Suburbs
• 400 series – Inner West, Southern Suburbs
• 500 series – North Western Suburbs
• 5/6/700 series – school buses
• 891 – University of New South Wales

Fleet

As of August 2017, the fleet consisted of 2,006 buses operating from 12 depots.^[16]

All State Transit vehicles are now fitted with CCTV cameras. The STA continues to improve its environmental impact with a large percentage of the fleet being powered by compressed natural gas as well as meeting strict emissions regulations with 270 Euro 5 compliant vehicles entering service from 2007.

Chassis	Body	Year		Number	Notes
Scania L113TRB 14.5-metre	Ansair Orana	1993/94		47	3447 scrapped – chassis damage and 3422 – fire damage
Scania L113CRB	Ansair Orana	1994/95		76	Compressed Natural Gas
Scania L113CRL	Ansair Orana	1996–1998	✓	149
MAN 11.220	Ansair Orana	1996	✓	16	Original order of 30
Volvo B10B	Custom Coaches 238	1996		4	ex North & Western Bus Lines, all at Newcastle depot
Mercedes-Benz O405N	Ansair Orana	1996/97	✓	2	All at Newcastle depot
Volvo B10BLE	Ansair Orana	1997/98	✓	64	3888 scrapped (Spit Hill accident)
Volvo B10BLE	Phoenix Bus Orana	1997/98	✓	59	3936 scrapped (fire damage)
Mercedes-Benz O405	Custom Coaches 516	1998		4	ex North & Western Bus Lines
Mercedes-Benz O405NH	Custom Coaches Citaro	1999–2002	✓	284	Compressed Natural Gas, model discontinued after this order, 1271 scrapped after fatal car accident
Volvo B12BLE	Custom Coaches CB60	2003–2007	✓	150
Volvo B12BLE	Volgren CR228L	2004/05	✓	48
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 3	Custom Coaches CB60	2005/06	✓	79	1695 written-off (fire damage)
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 5	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2008	✓	2
Volvo B12BLE	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2007–2011	✓	270
Mercedes-Benz OC500LE	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2008–2011	✓	253	Compressed Natural Gas, 4878 scrapped (fire damage)
Scania N310UA	Volgren CR228L	2008	✓	1
Scania K310UA	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2008	✓	1
Scania K310UB 14.5-metre	Volgren CR228L	2009	✓	1
Mercedes-Benz OC500LE	Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II	2009/10	✓	20
Volvo B12BLEA	Volgren CR228L	2009–2011	✓	150
Volvo B7RLE	Custom Coaches CB80	2011–2013	✓	120
Scania K280UB	Custom Coaches CB80	2011–2013	✓	100
Volvo B7RLE	Volgren CR228L	2011/12	✓	33
Mercedes-Benz OC500LE	Custom Coaches CB80	2009	✓	1	ex demonstrator, replacement for 4878
Scania K280UB	Bustech VST	2013–2016	✓	127
Scania K280UB	Bustech VSTM	2014/15	✓	27	All at Waverley depot
Iveco Metro	Volgren Optimus	2014/15	✓	7	All at Randwick depot
Volvo B7RLE	Bustech VST	2015-2016	✓	45
Scania K310UB	Bustech VST	2016	✓	40

In the early 1990s, State Transit adopted a white and blue livery with a red stripe. This livery with minor variations was retained until 2010, when the Transport for New South Wales white and blue livery was adopted. Buses dedicated to Metrobus services are painted in a red livery.

• 
  Custom Coaches bodied Mercedes-Benz O405NH
• 
  Phoenix Bus Orana bodied Volvo B10BLE
• 
  Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II bodied Mercedes-Benz OC500LE
• 
  Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II bodied Volvo B12BLE
• 
  Custom Coaches CB60 bodied Volvo B12BLEA
• 
  Bustech VST bodied Scania K280UB

Depots

State Transit operate 12 depots. The depots (depot code indicated) are located at:

References

External links

• State Transit Authority – corporate information
• Sydney Buses – corporate information
• Transport for NSW – corporate information