Media release – David O’Byrne MP, Member for Franklin, 24 July 2023
Students, commuters set to be stranded in yet another mass Metro service cancellation
A spate of Metro bus cancellations are set to cause chaos for students and other commuters on the first day of schools returning from school holidays, with at least 147 routes cancelled today without warning.
Franklin MP David O’Byrne said that the mass cancellations will cause outrage in the community, with parents and families worrying that children catching the bus to school will be stranded on the side of the road.
“More schools are returning from the break tomorrow, meaning the problem is only going to get worse,” said Mr O’Byrne.
“At the beginning of the year when schools went back, we had hundreds of Metro cancellations per day for several months. Transport Minister Michael Ferguson assured Tasmanians that these mass cancellations were a once-off, but clearly that wasn’t true.
“It’s completely unacceptable that our public transport network falls over each and every time schools return from their break. Students and families are completely fed up and are rapidly losing faith in Metro and this Liberal Government’s neglect of the critical service it provides.
“Just a few days ago, it was revealed that Metro had essentially cut apprentices’ pay, leaving them up to $15,000 worse off. It’s no wonder Metro can’t recruit enough drivers and support staff when they pull tricks like this.
“We’ve got a long list of missing public transport promises that this Liberal Government have completely failed to deliver on, including a new ticketing system, the underground bus mall, and the Hobart Bus Transit Centre.
“Is Transport Minister Michael Ferguson going to pull his finger out and fix these worsening cancellations, or is he going to wait until commuters completely lose faith in public transport altogether?”
