Sydney's New On-Demand Bus Service Is Expanding Its Routes

It's been six months since Sydney's on-demand bus service started driving around town — and it continues to expand its network.

From Monday, December 3, Bridj will increase its services on the edge of the city's inner west, servicing suburbs such as Newington, Lidcombe, Cabarita, Mortlake, Sydney Olympic Park and North Strathfield.

Bridj hit the streets in Sydney's west in June, launched a trial in the eastern suburbs in August and cemented its presence in both areas in September. It'll now run four inner-west routes, operating in Canada Bay, Concord, Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Mortlake and Rhodes between 6am–11.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am–8.30pm on Saturday and Sunday — and from Newington to Lidcombe between 6.20am–7pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am–5pm on Saturday, as well as from Cabarita to Sydney Olympic Park between 6.30–9.30am and 3.30–8pm, Monday to Friday, too.

A trial fleet of buses will also continue to service Rose Bay, Dover Heights, North Bondi and Bondi Beach, between 6–9am and 3pm-9pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am–8.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. The areas and routes included are designed to cover gaps between existing transport hubs in the eastern suburbs, predominately functioning to transport passengers to and from the Rose Bay ferry during peak hours.

The service works a little bit like Uber, combining both fixed route and on-demand transit. To book a trip, jump on the smartphone app — which you can download for free for IOS and Android — input your destination and when you want to go, and a booking confirmation will be sent through with a nearby pick-up spot and estimated drop-off time.

The Bridj microbuses travel different routes depending on where passengers are headed, and like an Uber, can be tracked in real-time via the app. The technology even looks at things like congestion to work out the shortest possible routes and best pick-up spots.

Fares cost $3.10, and concession card holders pay just $1.50 at the moment. You can pay either via credit card through the app, with cash on board or with your Opal card. And don't forget to thank the bus driver.

There are plans to incorporate up to 27 additional buses across Sydney in the coming years, as Bridj continues to analyse customer needs and evolve its offering to suit. There's no word yet on how long the trial will run for, but we'll update as soon as we have more info.

The Bridj service is now running in Sydney's west and inner east. To learn more about it, head to the Bridj or Transport NSW websites. 

Via Sydney Morning Herald.