Bus in peak-hour traffic.
Camera IconBus in peak-hour traffic. Credit: Supplied/Dominique Menegaldo

More buses put on some routes

Anne Gartner, Guardian ExpressEastern Reporter

New buses were added to the 885, 886, 887, 888 and 889 services earlier this month, with buses leaving the Wellington Street Bus Station every five minutes after 3pm, increasing in frequency to every three minutes just after 4.45pm.

Between 7.20 and 8.45am buses will arrive at the station about every three minutes.

Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes said the number of people using these routes had increased by about 40 per cent since 2008/09 with about 7000 people using the buses on an average weekday.

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‘The increase in frequency has been part of Transperth’s service development plan, under which bus service kilometres are being increased by about 28 per cent and the fleet expanded by 209 buses over the 2011-2016 period,’ he said.

The buses run from the bus station along Alexander Drive to Mirrabooka, Ballajura and Marangaroo.

An RAC time travel report, released last week, highlights Alexander Drive between the CBD and Menora as a congestion hot spot with traffic slowing to less than 25km/h in some spots.

RAC head of advocacy Matt Brown said commuters travelling in this central northern corridor were heavily reliant on cars because there was not a rail line or rapid bus service.

‘The RAC supports high-frequency public transport (rail and bus) as an important congestion reduction strategy,’ he said.

Mr Hynes said while buses were caught in traffic congestion, caused by population growth and road works, they were a necessary part of the transport network.

‘Buses are, and will remain, a small proportion of the total number of vehicles on Alexander Drive,’ he said.

‘If buses were not added, more and more people would be forced to drive further, compounding an already congested road network.’