Extra weekend bus services will be added to Canberra's timetable from next weekend, after a pay deal with drivers allowed the ACT government to increase service frequencies.
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Local buses will run hourly from first service until 6pm on Saturdays, with an 331 extra bus services to run across Canberra. Some last services will run later.
The new timetable will begin on Saturday, April 6.
Rapid buses will still run every 15 to 30 minutes across the weekend, while the light rail timetable also remains unchanged.
The Sunday timetable will remain unchanged.
Transport Canberra and City Services acting Director-General Ben McHugh said a recruitment drive and an agreement to trial new weekend reliability provisions had allowed transport officials to boost the timetable.
"We know that the travel habits of Canberrans have changed and there has been a significant increase in the use of weekend public transport services by Canberrans," Mr McHugh said.
A pay deal, agreed in February, will mean permanent bus drivers will get a 15 per cent penalty rate after driving six weekend shifts. Weekend shifts are voluntary.
Mr McHugh said Transport Canberra had worked to top up its nearly 1000-strong driver workforce.
"Driver resources have been an ongoing challenge for all jurisdictions, not only to maintain established driver numbers which naturally reduce over time, but in the years post the COVID pandemic we have seen a lot of departures through retirement," Mr McHugh said.
"Driver recruitment efforts, particularly in the past year with more permanent part-time drivers coming on board, have helped Transport Canberra to rebuild staffing numbers."
The ACT government announced in February it intended to increase Saturday bus services in April.
Bus services were cut in 2023 after an earlier reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, with transport officials pointing at the time to limited demand for late-night services and workforce pressures.
Saturday timetable changes from April 6:
- Extension of hourly local buses from first service in the morning until 6.00 pm on Saturdays.
- 57 additional bus services in the Belconnen region.
- 48 additional bus services in the Gungahlin region.
- 61 additional bus services in the Central Canberra region.
- 73 additional bus services in the Woden, Weston Creek and Molonglo regions.
- 92 additional bus services in the Tuggeranong region.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
