Life In Australia

Photo credit: Felipe Skroski 

Sydney has an extensive network of bus services. Sydney Buses operates a fleet of modern, clean buses which can be recognised by their blue and white colours (see the bus in the background of the photograph).

You can go by bus to places that are not served by the rail network, including Bondi Beach (although the buses to and from Bondi Beach are always packed at the weekend) and Church Point (from where you can take the ferry to Scotland Island).

The frequency of bus services varies from one bus every five to ten minutes on peak routes and at peak times to one bus every two hours or less frequently on less popular routes.

I don’t travel by bus very often because it is difficult with a stroller (pram or pushchair). You are only allowed to take strollers onto a bus with disabled access, on which the entrance and exit to the bus move downwards to become level with the pavement (sidewalk) to allow access.

The ‘normal’ buses have steps which are too narrow to negotiate with a stroller, and, I have been told by drivers, that they risk losing their job if they allow a stroller to go on such a bus, as it is against the safety regulations - a stroller would block the aisle.

In my experience, only about one in six buses has disabled access. This usually means that I usually have to wait for at least an hour to catch a bus. Since this is unacceptable, I try to avoid using the bus when I have my son with me in the stroller. It will be much easier when he can walk and I can use a fold-up stroller!