In a closed-door meeting, Northern Beaches Council has voted to eliminate four of its five Hop Skip and Jump community bus routes. Significantly, the most popular route serving will remain in operation, for now.
Beginning July 2025, only Route 1 – which connects Manly, the Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre, and Little Manly – will continue to run.
The decision marks a significant change for the community bus service that has been a lifeline for residents in Manly, Fairlight, Balgowlah, and Seaforth areas, but ultimately not enough of them to justify the cost.
Beginning July 2025, only Route 1 – which connects Manly, the Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre, and Little Manly – will continue to run.
Asked by the decision was effectively made in secret, where previous attempts to cancel it were in the public domain, Council said this discussion had to be closed because it included specific costs and sensitive information relating to staff. Asked why services were being cut before a determination on rate rises, which could see services increased, council said it had a responsibility to ensure the services it provides are cost effective for ratepayers. It said in this case it was difficult to form any other position.
Council officials cited declining ridership as the primary reason for the cuts. Passenger numbers have nearly halved from 318,037 in 2018/19 to 174,316 in 2023/24, making the service ‘financially unsustainable’.
Two Manly ward councillors who previously championed the bus service – Candy Bingham and Sarah Grattan – were among those voting to cut the auxiliary routes. In fact, it was a unanimous vote.
“We are continuing to tighten our belts,” Cr Bingham explained. “The service has been under threat for about four years, and we’ve managed to fight it until now. But quite frankly, the cost can’t be justified.”
“The service has been under threat for about four years, and we’ve managed to fight it until now. But quite frankly, the cost can’t be justified.”
The council estimates saving approximately $500,000 annually by eliminating the less-used routes that serve Clontarf, Seaforth, and Fairy Bower, which currently attract 10,000-14,000 passengers per year.
Cr Grattan emphasised that public transport is fundamentally a state government responsibility. “We were filling a gap, an example of cost shifting that local transport was being run by us,” she said.
Cr Grattan reiterated that in Council’s current financial situation, the four axed routes simply cost to much.
“This news is so tough. Candy and I managed to save the primary route that is still well patronised but the use of local routes in our area had dropped a lot.
So a total shocker for the regular uses, but not enough people were donating a gold coin or tapping to pay. Finally we got to the point that we needed 4-5 new buses at the cost of the service was going to hit $1.8m in 2024/25.”
Only two buses will be required for the remaining route, with one of them already ordered after funding was secured by Manly MP James Griffin.
Mr Griffin said he was unhappy not only with the decision to axe services, but the manner in which the decision was made – with no prior warning that it was up for debate and in a closed session of council.
So too the Chair of Manly Community Forum, Cathy Griffin, also James’ mother, and a fellow staunch campaigner for the full retention of the services. She was also a councillor for the Greens when the service was first introduced in the early 2000s.
“We’re just about to be subjected to a massive rate rise. The rate rise is inevitable. It’s just a matter of how much the rate rise is going to be. But even if it’s the minimum amount of rate increase that eventually gets approved by iPart, our rates here in Manly are still going to go up because the land values have gone up. So I think I think it’s really mean, even if it was a unanimous vote to compromise, I think that not everybody uses every single Council service, and there are a lot of people here in Manly that use that service and rely on the service.”
Community reaction
We took a ride on the soon-to-be-cancelled services to chat to regular users about the decision. First stop was Leslie and Joe, who said they use the bus nearly every day.
“I thought they might limit the services but I didn’t know they would actually cancel it,” said Leslie. I did [consider it] because of all the talk about council and budget. It’s shame because we love it. And I think one of the nice things about it is people get to know each other on the bus, the regulars, and the bus drivers are very good at looking after some of the more frail people.”
“Us old people need it,” chimed in Joe. Both Joe and Leslie said they won’t be coming to Balgowlah Shopping Centre anymore if they no longer have the bus service available. “I reckon Coles should buy the new buses, or at least chip in” Joe added.
Leslie was more resigned. “You know, We love the service. We like the bus drivers, all the regulars..we used to call it the comedy bus because there were certain people… it was like stand up. But you know, this is the way it goes. And you you have to adapt.”
Driver Nigel said he was very disappointed by the news. He’s been driving the bus for five years and it had kept his sharp after retirement.
“It gets me out of bed. I enjoy this job, I love it. I love meeting the people who catch this bus, and I like doing the public service.”
“I am disappointed and there are people asking why we are cancelling. A lot of old people who sort of cling to their ways and like to go to the post office instead of doing things online.”
Nigel had not long started his shift and he said he had about 30 people who would probably not have otherwise been out and about without his pick up and drop off.
“I’d say it is essential, it is.”
Passenger Chip said the news was terrible for him, personally and he felt he was getting old and it was an easy way to get down to the shops. Another passenger, whose name we missed, said she was upset for the heavy regular users. “Our senior citizens, everybody uses this bus, it’s a bus that’s used by all age groups. And I think it’s very disappointing. It was one of the positives of this Council.”
A statement from Northern Beaches Council said that a review showed other public transport options were available to our community and that 99% of residents are within a 400m radial distance of a Transport for NSW bus service. It is not known if the topography of those 400 metres have been taken into account.
Manly Observer understands on demand bus service ‘Keoride’ has been looking to expand its service for about two years but it was not feasible to do so with the Hop Skip and Jump in operation. We also understand that during the Tuesday’s meeting councillor voted to liaise with Keoride operators to invite them to set up shop in the area to meet the service gap. Keoride is run by Keolis Downer, the private operator contracted to run local bus services. They are currently running a trial with NSW Government support in the Northern end of the Beaches, and it is expected this service might help fill some of the service gaps from 1 July 2025.
Written by Kim Smee with Jack Kelly
