newy.com.au – Students in Chisholm and Sophia Waters will have improved bus links to Maitland and Merewether high schools from Monday, with a new afternoon service and three extended routes beginning in term three.
The changes follow community feedback and rapid residential growth in the area, which has previously had limited access to school buses. They were developed in collaboration with operator CDC Hunter Valley and local schools.
A new Route 1337 afternoon service will carry students from Maitland High School and Maitland Grossmann High School to Chisholm and Sophia Waters.
The Route 2763 morning service will be extended from its current endpoint in Chisholm to both Maitland high schools, while the Route 2522 afternoon service from Merewether High School to Bolwarra Heights will add stops in Sophia Waters and Chisholm.
Route 2611, which runs from Chisholm to Merewether High School in the morning, will also begin its journey in Sophia Waters.
Chisholm parent Dr Abraam Hanna, whose child attends Merewether High School, said the changes had addressed concerns about students making their way home from existing stops.
“This change has brought enormous relief to the many families who were concerned about the previous arrangement, where students were dropped on Raymond Terrace Road and had to negotiate an 80 km/h road to get home,” Dr Hanna said.
“Ms Aitchison’s willingness to listen to the community and advocate for a practical solution has made a genuine difference to the safety and wellbeing of our children.”
Member for Maitland and Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said the expanded services would help public transport keep pace with population growth.
“We have listened to the community feedback and acted to refine and improve local bus services. Sophia Waters is a growing area within Chisholm and is seeing more students attend high schools in the Maitland area,” Ms Aitchison said.
“These changes ensure services keep up with our growing community, providing vital access for students to reach their school and alleviating pressure on families and roads.
“Reliable school transport is essential for families and students. The new and improved services starting in Term 3 will meet student demand and provide public transport to this new area with growing residential populations.”
Route 1304 from San Clemente Catholic College to Lakeside will be withdrawn because of low demand, with Route 1323 available as an alternative.
The changes take effect on Monday, 20 July, with updated route information available through the Transport for NSW Trip Planner.
