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. Superseding the Urban Transit Authority in 1989, It was also responsible for the provision of ferry services in Sydney until 2004 and bus and ferry services in Newcastle until 2017. It is scheduled to cease trading in 2022 with its remaining operations to be contracted out by Transport for NSW to replacement operators.

State Transit Authority

Bustech bodied Scania K280UB in December 2014
Statutory Authority overview
Formed16 January 1989
Preceding Statutory Authority
Dissolved2022 (scheduled)
JurisdictionSydney
HeadquartersSydney
Minister responsible
Statutory Authority executive
  • Daniela Fontana, A/Chief Executive
Parent Statutory AuthorityTransport for NSW
Key documents
WebsiteState Transit
Logo of State Transit used until 2010

History
Ansair bodied Scania L113TRB 14.5-metre
Custom Coaches bodied Scania K280UB

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 Department of Railways New South Wales 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.[1]

In January 1989, the Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) restructured the Urban Transit Authority as the State Transit Authority, taking over the private bus service functions of the Department of Motor Transport.[2] 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. The Opal card ticketing system was rolled out from 2013.

In December 1999, North & Western Bus Lines was purchased followed in February 2000 by Parramatta-Ryde Bus Service.[3][4]

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 returned to Hillsbus in September 2005 with the exception of routes 623, 624, 628 and 629. On 13 October 2013, the Western Sydney Buses route T80 was taken over by private operator Transit Systems.[5]

Bus services in Sydney were operated under the Sydney Buses brand until 2016, when rebranded as State Transit.

Until 30 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]

In February 2018, Transit Systems won the tender to take over State Transit's Sydney Bus Region 6 from 1 July 2018, including Burwood, Kingsgrove, Leichhardt and Tempe depots and 600 buses.[7] In October 2019, it was announced that State Transit's remaining three bus regions are to be contracted out in early 2020.[8]

Former units

The State Transit Authority also comprised three former business units.

Sydney Ferries
Main article: 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.[9]

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.[10] Western Sydney Buses operated out of a corner of Westbus' Bonnyrigg depot.[11]

In November 2012, Transit Systems won the tender for Sydney Bus Region 3 which included route T80 with the service and 22 buses transferring on 13 October 2013.[11][12]

Newcastle Buses & Ferries
Main article: Newcastle Buses & Ferries
MV Shortland operating the 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 Queens Wharf and Stockton. The network radiated 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 Newcastle Transport taking over.[6]

Services
Main article: Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts

State Transit operates services in Sydney Metropolitan contract regions 7, 8 and 9.

For school bus services, State Transit uses 5/6/7xx series route numbers suffixed with E for East, N for North and W for West, while 89x routes are used for University of New South Wales services.[13] However, these numbers may also be used by other operators for normal services.

Fleet
Pressed Metal Corporation bodied Mercedes-Benz O405

As of April 2020, the fleet consists of 1,424 buses operating from eight depots.[14]

State Transit inherited a fleet of approximately 1,600 Leyland Leopards, Mercedes-Benz O305s, Mercedes-Benz O405s and MAN SL202s from the Urban Transit Authority. New buses have primarily been purchased from Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Volvo.

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 NSW white and blue livery was adopted. Buses dedicated to Metrobus services are painted in a red livery.

In 2017, State Transit purchased its first double-decker buses for use on B-Line services. These are painted in a yellow and blue livery.[15]

The current fleet is located below[14]

Chassis Body Year Number Notes
Scania L113CRB Ansair Orana 1994/95 5 Compressed Natural Gas
Scania L113CRL Ansair Orana 1996–1998 ✓ 53
Volvo B10BLE APG Orana 1997/98 ✓ 28
Volvo B10BLE Phoenix Bus Orana 1998-2000 ✓ 34
Mercedes-Benz O405 Custom Coaches 516 1998 4 ex North & Western Bus Lines
Mercedes-Benz O405NH Custom Coaches Citaro 1999–2002 ✓ 77 Compressed Natural Gas
Volvo B12BLE Euro 3 Custom Coaches CB60 Evo I 2003–2007 ✓ 78
Volvo B12BLE Euro 3 Volgren CR228L 2004/05 ✓ 47
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 3 Custom Coaches CB60 Evo I 2005/06 ✓ 77
Volvo B12BLE Euro 5 Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II 2007–2011 ✓ 194
Mercedes-Benz O500LE CNG Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II 2007–2011 ✓ 184 Compressed Natural Gas
Scania K310UB 14.5-metre Volgren CR228L 2008 ✓ 1
Mercedes-Benz O500LE Euro 5 Custom Coaches CB60 Evo II 2009/10 ✓ 20
Volvo B12BLEA Euro 5 Volgren CR228L 2010/11 ✓ 88
Volvo B7RLE Custom CB80 Series I 2011–2013 ✓ 100
Scania K280UB Custom CB80 Series I 2012/13 ✓ 46
Mercedes-Benz OC500LE Euro 5 Custom CB80 Series I 2009 ✓ 1 ex demonstrator, replacement from Mercedes
Scania K280UB Bustech VST 2014–2016 ✓ 69
Scania K280UB Bustech VSTM 2014/15 ✓ 27
Iveco Metro Volgren Optimus 2014/15 ✓ 7
Volvo B7RLE Bustech VST 2015 ✓ 19
Scania K310UB Bustech VST 2016 ✓ 14
Volvo B7RLE Custom CB80 Series II 2016/17 ✓ 14
Volvo B8RLE Custom CB80 Series II 2017, 2019/20 ✓ 48
MAN ND323F Gemilang Coachworks Double-Decker 2017 ✓ 38
Volvo B8RLE Volgren Optimus 2018/19 ✓ 54
Volvo B8RLE Bustech VST 2019/20 ✓ 46
Scania K310UB Custom CB80 Series II 2018/19 ✓ 51

Depots

State Transit operate eight depots:

gollark: That's WORSE.
gollark: It's slightly more work for me.
gollark: IRC's particular transport isn't hugely important.
gollark: Technically I can forward anything ever. Consider using websockets.
gollark: It's the one heav.osmarks.net runs on.

References
  1. Urban Transit Authority of New South Wales NSW Government State Records
  2. "New name for Urban Transit" Fleetline February 1989 page 22
  3. "State Transit Reaches Parramatta" Fleetline January 2000 page 22
  4. "STA Purchases North & Western and Parramatta-Ryde" Australian Bus Panorama 15/4 February 1990
  5. Milestone for Transit Systems Australasian Bus & Coach 8 December 2017
  6. Keolis Downer awarded contract to run light rail, buses and ferries says Baird government Newcastle Herald 12 December 2016
  7. Transit Systems Boosts Inner West Bus Services Minister for Transport 13 February 2018
  8. "New bus contracts to drive improved services". Transport for NSW. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  9. State Owned Corporations Amendment (Sydney Ferries) Regulation 2004 Government of New South Wales
  10. State Transit Authority Annual Report State Transport Authority 30 June 2012
  11. STA former fleet list Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  12. New bus contracts to drive improvements for customers Transport for NSW
  13. UNSW Express Bus Service University of New South Wales
  14. State Transit Authority Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  15. MAN double-deckers for Sydney Northern Beaches Australasian Bus & Coach 15 September 2016
  16. Eastern Bus Region Service NSW
  17. Northern Bus Region Service NSW
  18. Western Bus Region Service NSW
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