As reported by the Illawarra Mercury (Tuesday 3 July) six extra buses will service the 887 route per day (weekdays)!

The new timetable is expected to commence on Monday August 20.

A similar story was posted by the Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser on Wednesday 4 July — see below:

It reports that a petition of 21 signatures for increased bus services was tabled to NSW Parliament by MP Walt Secord.

Read the Thursday 21 June Hansard transcript here.

I am sure we could have rallied more than 21 signatures, although given the date of the article perhaps we had already dived into UOW session holidays before it came to pass — Who organised the petition and can we enliven it with the support that has already been shown on this site?

The Busways submission to NSW Government proposes increasing the number of trips to and from the University of Wollongong by 60% however specific details, including departure and arrival times, have not been disclosed.

According to a spokesperson from the UOW Transport Unit, the proposed changes aim to better accommodate student schedules.

“The [new service aims to] better suit lectures and provide faster journey times via Mount Ousley,” the transport spokesperson said.

“It offers a later final departure time from UOW and the operation of a consistent weekday timetable year round (eliminating the current incompatibility between public school terms and University semesters),” she said.

The latest proposal is reported to be for a long-term commitment to funding, giving room for sustained petitioning and pressure by commuters to ease. So far, all NSW transport funding success on the 887 front has been for intermittent and short-term grants, covering the service only for a period of months.

“Expressions of support by students for the proposed timetable improvements and general feedback on the need for an improved service are highly encouraged, particularly on the proposed later departure time in the evening,” the transport spokesperson said.

Comments and letters of support are invited from the student community. Please contact transport-project@uow.edu.au no later than (close of business) this Thursday 17 May to back the Busways proposal.

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I will be writing a letter in support of the proposal to fund the 887 service for long-term. I urge you to do so too. Any issues about keeping the duo-service active or preferred departure times for the proposed higher-frequency journeys can be aired with Busways after this funding push.

Send your comments in support of long-term government funding for the 887 service to the UOW Transport Unit.

Busways will be conducting another survey themselves to ascertain the most popular arrival times at UOW shortly.

If people want to send their suggestions or comments they can contact transport-project@uow.edu.au and we will pass them onto Busways.”

- UOW transport spokesperson

Although Busways are reluctant to make any strong commitment to the duo-service with a definitive statement, it is very encouraging to see that they are still interested in trying to find a solution to the increased passenger numbers traveling to and from Campbelltown-Wollongong. Thank you all for your help posting comments to this blog and completing the survey.

Perhaps the need for the duo-service will become clearly more pressing in light of local Campbelltown school students using the bus over the school holidays to spend a day at the beach.

Please use this forum to let us know what catching the bus is like this week – your comments will be collated and presented to UOW and Busways jointly.

Melissa

As expected, the service was met with overwhelming success given the growing number of students that are drawn to study at UOW from South West Sydney. As the Easter school holidays dawn, it is expected that busload numbers will rise which may have an adverse affect for those who rely soley on the service for study and work.

Over the pilot weeks bus drivers have been undertaking a passenger headcount and have noticed a small decline in commuter numbers as the session has gone on.

The pilot is due to finish, and with it the duo-bus service, this coming Thursday 5 April. Busways need your feedback to help petition for continued government funding.

This grass-roots action will help stress the need for ongoing government support of transport infrastructure links between the Illawarra and South West Sydney.

As a matter of urgency, please share your views and have your voice heard today.

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About the site manager

Melissa Coade is completing her final year of a double degree at the University of Wollongong. She has been a regular patron of the 887 service (even when it was called the 889) for six years. In that time she has watched the cost of fares fall, rise and then fall again; endured some very long and arduous journeys alongside some rowdy fellow-passengers (the school holiday beach bus is always enteraining); and tracked the growing, urgent need for:

a) increased bus services

b) more frequent services

c) a university-only shuttle

She has been actively involved in all major petitions to help Busways and other patrons find a viable solution to the Illawarra to South West Sydney transport dilemma and urges you all to jump on board and join the grass-roots activism journey. Please share your stories and comments today.

A near-full busload waiting for the 887 to pull in for its first pick up

Share your pics of the 887 Overload experience – add to the visual evidence and compel change!