Overflowing roads and underused public transport.
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It is a situation in Maitland which could only worsen as time goes on if nothing changes.
Following the Mercury's story on Monday (Maitland residents commute more by car than public transport), it was clear there were a number of reasons why this was the case.
We unpack some of the top deterrents for commuting by public transport in Maitland below.
Can you think of any more?
Timing and delays
Takes too long … scenic route doesn't suit me.
Danuta Mudd
I don't have the extra three hours it would take to get me there.
Steven Richards
I drive because I get up at 5am to leave at 6am to start at 6.45am, aint NO WAY im getting up at 3am for the privilege of using public transport.
Paulette Patten
Time! It’s so much quicker to drive into Newcastle from Weston than catch public transport.
Rachael Sitters
Cost
Costs my wife $50 a Week on the train … not much cheaper than driving to east end from Maitland, should be much cheaper to ride the train.
Michael Edmonds
Unreliable, costly and there is no bus or train that get me even remotely close to where I work.
Krystal Davey
I’d rather not sit on a bus for half hour following a windy route, whereas it takes me 8min in the car. It’s also cheaper to fill my tank then it would be to catch the bus.
Bel Shaw
It’s not cost or time effective. Took me an hour and a half to go from Thornton to the John Hunter on a train then bus. Plus the same in reverse. That would be 3grs if traveling a day. So I drive.
Paul Tooney
Anti-social behaviour/ unpleasant environment
I work FIFO and every time I return home and catch the train from Sydney airport to home at 0715, there is without fail, a drunk person interacting [or] abusing everyone. Why put up with this when you don't have to?
Andrew James
The odours of people that do use it puts you off and makes you sick.
Alex Thrift
Inconvenience
Don’t think I’m allowed to put my wheel barrow loaded with tools on board.
Shane Lucas
No public transport to John Hunter Hospital.
Cedar Raw
Because it doesn't get you to enough locations. It's slow and takes twice as long to get there. It's not particularly comfortable and you have to carry all your stuff around.
Plus you can end up having to catch several vehicles, for example, a train, a bus, another bus.
Instead of jumping in the car and going straight from A to B.
Penelope Bailey
Public transport needs to be improved. Simple. It's uncomfortable, there isn't enough of it and coming up from the valley it's almost non-existent. Improve public transport make it people friendly and the answer will be no, because we are not Sydney.
Caroline Gould
No public transport service between home and work.
Cathy Biddle
There is no public bus in the Chisholm area - (actually can’t even get an appropriate school bus in here) and the buses don’t service the hospitals and shift working staff at all.
Angela Niznik
Very hard to find routes and times. The website isn't very helpful.
Tegan Sarah Richards
There’s no public transport near my work.
Toree Diver
There is not a regular bus service from Chisholm so I have to at least drive to a train station. Now that the train doesn’t go all the way to Newcastle, it just takes too long. It’s much quicker and easier to drive.
Fiona Cunningham
Public transport also won't work with parents having to do the daycare drop off before and after work.
Monique White
Maitland train station's lack of parking.
Brooke Anne
Taking multiple transport forms to where you need to go, doesn’t make sense.
You can’t ‘vary your activity’. Work in the east end, yeah yeah take the train then tram. Want to swing by redhead for a beach sesh in the arvo? Well that idea is buggered. Pick up a kid from a sporting field? Need groceries? Fail.
And the time it takes.
It wins in transit cost over parking cost in the city, that’s about it.
Malcolm New
I used to do early starts on weekends before I had my license and there were no buses before 7am from Rutherford to Maitland so I would just walk. Now living in the Beresfield area it would be convenient to catch a train into Maitland but I finish between midnight and 1am now so it's safer to drive.
One of my good friends who lives 15 to 20 mins from the uni has to spend two hours stuffing around with public transport just to get there. They have to catch a bus into Newy, then catch the light rail to the interchange followed by a train to Warrabrook. Before the light rail it was a 45 min bus trip from Newy to the uni.
Public transport in Newcastle and the Valley is just awful and unless you have a concession the cost is on par with or more expensive than filling up your car each week.
Skyla Steele
Because Maitland and all of its surrounding suburbs have little to no public transport. Thanks to the state government and council doing nothing to change that. There is no increase in the two hour rush period of a morning or evening. It's unheard of to think of changing people's perceptions by introducing rush periods on buses and trains.
Leslie Allen
No public transportation whatsoever to the vineyards.
Caitlin Biddle
Bus routes and services need to be updated with growth areas. New housing estates are opening but the services aren't keeping up. For example there isn't a direct bus service from Largs to Green Hills.
Kerry Hendrie
You basically have to leave an hour or two early to insure you can get a bus to the location. You need to be on time half the time they are late and besides that they don't go everywhere so you still potentially have to walk a fair distance to were you need to go. Hate looking at the bus time only to then sit for an hour as that bus is late and bus fare can cost more in a week the petrol in the car.
Kat Charlton
Maitland transport sucks and don’t get me started on Cessnock it’s far worse. If you go into Newcastle on a night out for dinner or drinks good luck getting home as there is no bus home after 10.
Hmm wonder why people sometimes drink drive. Even though it’s silly.
Jared Butler
Can you think of any more points? Have you tried to commute by public transport but given up?
To share your story, contact betina.hughes@fairfaxmedia.com.au