Courteous Travel:
When travelling on Busabout buses, we ask that you are considerate and courteous to others around you. This includes:
- Offering your seat to people who might need it more, including people that are older, have a disability or mobility impairment, are pregnant, or are travelling with children.
- Ensuring the doors and aisles are kept clear of bags, prams, luggage or other items.
- Making room for people to board or alight the bus.
- Keeping your feet off the seats or backs of seats.
- Carrying and holding your bags or luggage in a manner that does not inconvenience or injure other passengers.
- Freeing up available seats when others are standing.
- Covering your mouth when you need to cough or sneeze.
- Speaking quietly with other passengers or whilst on the phone.
- Acting in a manner that does not distract the driver or disrupt other passengers.
- Using headphones when using mobile devices, and limiting the volume.
- Placing any rubbish in the bins provided.
Threatening, offensive or unsafe behaviour is not tolerated and may be reported to the police. In these cases, the driver has the right to refuse travel if passenger or driver health and wellbeing is believed to be at risk.
Eating and Drinking:
Food and drinks (except bottled water) are not permitted on Busabout buses, unless needed for a medical condition. Medical conditions requiring consumption of food must be notified to the driver while boarding. Any rubbish must be taken with you or placed in the bins provided. If you try to board whilst eating or drinking, you may be refused travel until the items are disposed of.
Alcohol:
It is an offence to drink alcohol or be in possession of an open container of alcohol whilst travelling on buses. For the safety and comfort of all passengers, you may be refused travel if you are intoxicated, consuming alcohol, or are in possession of an open container of alcohol. Breaches may be reported to the police.
Smoking:
It is an offence to smoke whilst on NSW public transport or whilst at a bus stop. You may be refused travel if smoking whilst the bus is loading passengers.
Each person travelling must have their own Opal card or valid ticket. Contactless payments using credit or debit cards can only be used for Adult Opal fares. School Opal cards are only valid for travel between home and school, and are not valid for school excursions. Parents are encouraged to supply their child with a Child/Youth Opal card with sufficient funds to facilitate a quicker loading process for large groups.
Pre-plan your journey to ensure each person travelling has enough balance on their Opal cards to cover their fares before boarding. Contact the depot to advise of large groups travelling to prepare the allocated driver before arrival.
Busabout does not reserve seats for groups, and cannot guarantee that your group will be able to board specific buses. It might be easier to split into smaller groups and prepare to stand if seats are taken. It is also best to avoid travel in peak periods, as buses often reach capacity. Peak periods are typically Monday to Friday, 7:00am – 9:00am, and 3:30pm – 6:30pm.
A valid NSW/ACT Senior Secondary Student Concession card must be presented by all students aged 16 years and older, when using a Concession Opal card. These cards are proof of concession entitlement, and are provided by the school.
Travelling with an Assistance Animal:
Approved assistance animals with valid accreditation can travel for free on all bus services. The following assistance animals (trained or in-training) are accepted:
- Guide dogs
- Police dogs
- Hearing dogs
- Mind dogs
- Animals with a Transport for NSW Assistance Animal Permit
- Animals with an interstate permit accepted by Transport for NSW
If you’re travelling with an assistance animal, you must:
- Have a valid ticket for your trip
- Be responsible for the conduct, care, feeding and toileting of your animal
- Ensure the animal is under the control of the registered handler at all times
- Carry the appropriate valid accreditation when travelling at all times for you and your assistance animal
- Produce your assistance animal accreditation when requested by the driver and/or an authorised officer.
Travelling with Pets:
Pets are permitted on Busabout buses at the driver’s discretion. When boarding with a pet or other animal, please be aware that:
- The animal must be restrained in a suitable pet carrier, box, basket or other container at all times while on board, as required by the NSW Passenger Transport Act.
- The driver may refuse to allow the animal on board if the service is nearing capacity.
- Animals that are dirty, appear vicious or likely to annoy, threaten or inconvenience other customers will not be permitted to board.
- Animals are not permitted on seats and must not obstruct the aisles.
- You must keep your animal away from other travelling animals to ensure the safety and comfort of other customers and pets.
Bicycles are not permitted on buses. They are difficult to store without inconveniencing or potentially endangering other passengers.
Scooters and Skateboards can be taken on board, although the driver may refuse travel if the service is nearing capacity. Your scooter or skateboard must not block other passengers from getting a seat. To ensure that it does not inconvenience or cause risk to other passengers, it is best to avoid travelling on peak hour services. You are responsible for securing it so it is not a safety hazard for other passengers and staff. It must also be kept away from the aisle, doorways and emergency exits.
The safety of our passengers and employees is a high priority. As such, we follow a standard operating procedure that is consistent with the guidelines provided by Transport for NSW.
It is recommended that all customers abide by the following safety measures whilst waiting for a service:
- Allow enough room on the footpath for others to safely walk past.
- Stand in a visible location so the approaching service can easily see your signal to stop.
- After signalling the driver, stand away from the kerb while the bus approaches.
- Leave enough room for customers to alight the bus before trying to board.
- When boarding and alighting, watch your step for the gap between the bus and the gutter.
- Use the handrail when boarding or alighting, especially in wet weather.
- Request that the driver lowers the bus if required, and if possible.
For the safety of all customers, other road users and the public, once the bus has departed the bus stop, the driver is not required to reopen the doors and let passengers board or alight. To avoid the possibility of a missed service, it is suggested that all intending passengers are at their designated stop at least five (5) minutes prior to the arrival time.
Prams are permitted on Busabout buses provided that, for the duration of your journey, the wheelchair accessible space is not required by a customer in a wheelchair or mobility aid.
When travelling with a pram(s) and young children, you must:
- Engage the pram’s parking brake and park parallel to the edge of the footpath, whilst waiting for the bus.
- Stand away from the kerb at bus stops and signal the driver of your approaching service.
- Board the bus with the pram in front of you, lifting the front wheels over the gap.
- Place prams in the wheelchair accessible space available, with the child facing the rear of the bus, out of the way of other passengers, and in a manner that does not obstruct the aisle. If your pram has a brake, ensure it is engaged.
- Remove all shopping, luggage or items hanging from the pram handles to prevent the pram from falling over. You can place them in the luggage rack, hold them, or place them between your feet.
- Ensure your child is securely strapped into the pram/stroller and maintain a hold on your pram for the duration of the journey.
- When young children aren’t travelling in prams/strollers, maintain a hold of their hands when getting on and off buses.
- Ensure children are kept seated and close to you when on board buses, or whilst waiting for a service.
- For the duration of the journey, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure their child or children are travelling in a safe manner. A child or pram should never be left unattended.
You’ll need to fold your pram/stroller and stow it in the available luggage rack if:
- The driver advises that there isn’t enough space on board to safely park the pram.
- It isn’t a wheelchair accessible bus.
- The designated accessible area is already occupied or it becomes required during the journey.
In those circumstances, you will need to fold the pram and stow it out of the way of other passengers and find a seat. Children in your care will need to be seated with you. It is not safe to carry a child whilst standing on a moving bus. Alternatively, you can wait for the next accessible service and ask the driver for details.
Per clause 68 of the Passenger Transport Regulation 2007, “It is an offence for a person to occupy priority seating when they are asked to give up that seat for an aged or disabled passenger.”
Most timetabled Busabout services are wheelchair accessible, and have the wheelchair symbol displayed on the front of the bus. The floors are lower and can be lowered, the doors and aisles are wider to facilitate wheelchairs and mobility aids boarding and alighting, there are no steps inside the front of the bus, have handrails and accessible bus stop buttons, as well as bright LED destination signs outside the bus. Accessible buses have designated areas with folded seats designed to fit wheelchairs and other mobility aids. These areas can also be used for prams/strollers, however, wheelchair users and those with limited mobility always have priority.
The wheelchair accessible symbol on our timetables indicate which services are accessible. On rare occasions, due to operational limitations, a non-accessible bus may be used to cover an accessible service. If this occurs, please contact the depot to ensure the next service available is accessible for you.
If you require assistance or the ramp to be lowered when boarding or alighting, or if you require help obtaining a seat, please speak to the driver when boarding. Wherever possible, please contact the depot first to advise which service you are wanting to catch, to assist our drivers to be ready for you as best as possible.
When boarding, park your wheelchair in the designated accessible space on the bus, facing the back of the bus. Ensure it is clear of the aisle and as close to the side of the bus as possible. The back of the wheelchair needs to be in direct contact with the panel behind it and restrained (if available). Apply the brakes once in position. The bus will not move until you are parked correctly and secured.
If the accessible area is already full with customers with mobility aids, you will need to wait for the next service. The driver can advise when the next service will arrive.
When approaching your stop, use the accessible bus stop button to alert the driver to pull in close to the kerb. If required, they can also assist with lowering the boarding ramp.
When catching a bus with a mobility aid, the driver can assist with:
- Lowering the bus and the boarding ramp
- Requesting other customers move to provide you with access to the accessible area
- Providing information on services and trip planning
The driver cannot assist with:
- The operation of your mobility aid
- Moving, lifting or carrying your mobility aid
- Your personal needs
The driver is responsible for the safety and comfort of all customers on board, so please follow their instructions accordingly. The driver may refuse travel or ask you to exit the bus in the interest of safety to other customers. When the bus has reached capacity, the driver will not pick up further customers with mobility aids. Prams, strollers, wheelchairs or other mobility aids may be required to be folded and/or stowed to keep the aisle clear.
Mobility aids must comply with certain dimensions, stability and manoeuvrability specifications when travelling on buses. These are listed in the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002. Any mobility aids, including manual and motorised wheelchairs, scooters, walking frames and prams, that do not comply with these Standards will not be permitted on Busabout buses.
Wheelchair accessible buses are best suited to assist customers with a mobility aid. Pre-plan your trip by identifying the services that are accessible, by locating the wheelchair symbol on our timetables. Please contact the depot if you require further assistance in catching a wheelchair accessible service.