The free Gong Shuttle, which has been extended for another three years. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The well patronised Gong Shuttle will remain fare-free for another three years to link thousands of passengers to essential destinations, thanks to a new funding agreement.
Funding was agreed to between Transport for NSW (TfNSW), Wollongong City Council and the University of Wollongong (UOW) this week (11 July), extending the service until June 2027.
Last year it carried more than 2.2 million passengers as it operated daily across nine buses, connecting commuters to key destinations including Wollongong Station, the private and public hospitals, Wollongong CBD, UOW and the harbour and beaches.
Acting Transport Minister and Keira MP Ryan Park said it was a fantastic outcome for the community, thanks to the funding partners.
“This shuttle is an important service for Wollongong, providing a free and frequent connection between our major health, education and transport hubs,” Mr Park said.
“It was also the first route the Illawarra’s new hydrogen bus was trialled on, before it started touring other popular bus routes across our region.”
The nine free city buses started in 2012 on a 15-km loop in both directions – the first key project for then minister for the Illawarra David Campbell when he took over the transport portfolio.
However, the free service was close to ending in 2017, after then NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian planned to revert it to a full fare service, before thousands signed a petition to keep it free.
At the time, the petition argued that the service was needed due to issues with a lack of parking already rife, and making it paid expected to lead to traffic congestion and travel around Wollongong inaccessible to thousands of people.
UOW, Wollongong Council and TfNSW then stepped in and agreed to fund it, supporting workers, UOW students, shoppers and general commuters in the area, many of whom relied on the fact it was free.
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said that when the Liberal government tried to “scuttle the shuttle” in 2017, the community came together to save it, proving its value.
“We secured its future then and I’m pleased that we’ve secured another three years of this fare-free service,” Mr Scully said.
“Millions of people use this service every year and that’s millions of trips that might otherwise be taken in cars.
“It’s a great service that encourages more people around the Illawarra to get on board and give public transport a go.”
UOW Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar AO welcomed the signing, describing it as a “vital community asset”.
“It is also an important component of UOW’s sustainability agenda and has been successful in reducing congestion, pollution and parking problems at the university and across the city,” he said.
He said the Gong Shuttle was the most popular public transport service used by university staff, students and visitors, accounting for nearly half of all public transport arrivals on campus.
The service is available every 10 minutes, between 7 am and 6 pm, and every 20 minutes from 6 to 10 pm on a weekday. On weekends, there’s a service every 20 minutes between 10 am and 5 pm.
The new funding agreements started 1 July and will be in place until 30 June 2027.
Loading ...
