THE Weston Creek Community Council has accused the ACT government of “quietly posting” revised bus timetables and service arrangements.

“Alternatively, you may have easily missed it,” says the council “unimpressed that we found out about these changes through the media, rather than by targeted local consultation by Transport Canberra as is the usual case”.

Earlier this week Liberal transport spokesman Mark Parton also accused Minister Chris Steel of “quietly” cutting bus services in the ACT by releasing the new timetable for 2023 without any associated announcement just two weeks before Christmas.

Parton said there will be a reduction in trips across the network along with a reduction in peak frequencies.

“The new timetable reveals a significant reduction of trips on routes 18, 24, 32, 41, 43, 54, 55, 59, 62, 63, 66, 73, 78, 79, R4 and R5,” he says.

“Night services will also finish earlier across many routes which will mean that many workers will not be able to get the bus home after 8pm.

“Weekend buses will continue to operate every two hours despite promises from the Labor-Greens government to increase weekend frequency.

“These cuts represent a slap in the face for Canberrans who rely on the bus for day to day travel.”

However the Weston Creek Community Council says there are some “positive improvements/changes”, but also negatives and a lost opportunities.

“For example, the designated park-and-ride offering remains unfit for purpose and there are opportunities to better direct a few services and it is still not possible to catch a direct bus to the Canberra Hospital Precinct,” the council says.