More than a dozen people escaped injury this morning after a NSW Transport bus crashed into the front of a North Balgowlah property.
The 172X bus, carrying 14 passengers, veered off Taree Street and into a residential property around 9 am on 15 October 2025. According to a passenger on board, the 37-year-old driver lost control while attempting to navigate a tight junction and avoid a parked car.
“The driver pulled up to the junction. It’s a really tight turn, and they probably took it a little bit wide and saw a parked car, and then, just to avoid that, turned too far the wrong direction, and then kept on going into the front of the house,” the man told Manly Observer.
“Obviously, everyone’s a bit shocked when it came off the road, and when the masonry started falling off their house, that was when people got a bit worried. But everyone sort of sat down, so no one got thrown around… It could have been way, way worse.”
The owners of the house had already left for work, however, their teen daughter was in the home at the time of the collision. She said she heard a small noise and suspected the bins had been hit, only to discover a bus in the front of the yard.
The teen was okay but was later treated by paramedics for shock following an incident.
Brian Starkey was still at work when he received the troubling call from his wife. He said he suit is relieved no one involved was injured as a result of the crash.
“It was my wife called and said, we’ve got a big problem. And I’m like, Okay, what is that? I’m like, I had no idea that it would be about a bus in the front yard, that’s for sure, but that’s what she then told me,” he said.
“I’m very happy that no one’s hurt the driver and the passengers particularly, and no one at home, and that the neighbours seemingly stopped before it’s got through to them as well.”
“We’ve had buses backing up and down the street here, two busses trying to pass in the street and it doesn’t happen. It just creates chaos, gridlock, and it’s happened more often than you might think.”
Bus crash only a matter of time
Neighbours shared they have been in contact with transport authorities for years to look into making the narrow street safer for transport. Even in previous years submitting media of NSW Transport buses becoming stuck or narrowly missing other buses in a similar spot of where the incident occurred today.
“It’s not really a shock, because they’ve been an ongoing issue since they’ve allowed busses to come through the narrow streets because they drive too fast and the streets aren’t wide enough for them… You only have to look at the narrow corner there, and it’s a daily event,” Rachel, a local of the street told us.
“We’ve lived here for over ten years, and we’ve seen number of incidents in that time, cars getting sideswiped, passengers needing to take evasive action, busses getting stuck,” the passenger of the 172X said.
“There’s some much bigger roads that basically go the same direction, and doesn’t really make sense to have the buses coming down narrow residential streets when there’s main roads that people just have to walk to 300 metres.”
As well as the carport, the bus damaged powerlines and the car underneath was carport was crushed.
“It was incredible that it managed to stop where it did, and it didn’t continue further into the properties and cause further damage or potential injury to anybody occupying the houses.”
The bus was removed by a large tow truck around 12 pm before it was driven away from the premisses by NSW Transport authorities.
Fire and Rescue NSW Metro North Duty Commander Joshua Turner said there is no surrounding damage to any other property and that the powerlines are safely isolated.
“It was incredible that it managed to stop where it did, and it didn’t continue further into the properties and cause further damage or potential injury to anybody occupying the houses… the house itself is good. It was a free standing car port, so obviously it will be assessed by engineers to ensure there is no movement of the house, but there is no direct damage to the house itself,” Mr Turner said.
The bus was removed by a large tow truck around 12 pm before it was driven away from the premisses by NSW Transport authorities.
Fire and Rescue NSW Metro North Duty Commander Joshua Turner said there is no surrounding damage to any other property and that the powerlines are safely isolated.
“It was incredible that it managed to stop where it did, and it didn’t continue further into the properties and cause further damage or potential injury to anybody occupying the houses… the house itself is good. It was a free standing car port, so obviously it will be assessed by engineers to ensure there is no movement of the house, but there is no direct damage to the house itself,” Mr Turner said.
Private operator of NSW Transport buses on the Keolis Downer Northern Beaches has said they are thankful there were no injuries as a result of the incident and are assisting police as well as conducting an internal investigation of their own into the matter.
“We are currently providing support to our driver who is understandably shaken following this accident. We will also reach out to residents who have been impacted by this event. We will be assisting police with their investigation and conducting our own internal investigation to determine the cause of this accident,” a representative of the company said.
