Sydney ‘dead running’ buses equivalent to making 50 trips to the moon
By ANIThursday, July 29, 2010
SYDNEY - Sydney buses run empty for 19.4 million kilometers a year, which is equivalent to making 50 trips to the Moon.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the State Transit Authority is running “dead running buses” - without a single passenger on board - an average of 74,657km a day, figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed.
The average distance to the moon is 384,403km.
As politicians debate climate change, pollution and urban congestion, the State Opposition has revealed the number of kilometers run by empty buses going to and from depots and to normal routes after finishing school runs.
Top of the dead bus average running times was the Ryde depot at 11,030, Port Botany at 8728 and Brookvale at 7839.
The Opposition’s Transport spokeswoman Gladys Berejiklian said more needed to be done to co-ordinate bus services so “dead running times” were cut.
“This is yet another example of Labor’s blatant waste and mismanagement in public transport.
This is especially frustrating for all road users already doing it tough on overly congested roads,” Berejiklian said.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary Raoul Boanza said he believed, with school bus runs and the software in buses, that Sydney Buses was doing its best.
“It’s very difficult unless you have 50 depots,” he said. (ANI)
