More than 3000 people had signed an online protest within three hours of the NSW Government’s announcement that the free Gong Shuttle would become a paid service early next year.
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A change.org petition, started by Callum Harvey, has called on Transport Minister Andrew Constance to reverse the unpopular decision.
Quoting the government’s own figures – which have been used as a justification for why the service should become paid – Mr Harvey pointed our that 3.3 million people each year use the bus to get around Wollongong.
“Whether you're a cash-poor uni student who needs to get to class, an urban professional, or simply a tourist looking for a great way to get acquainted with the City of Wollongong, the regular buses have become an ingrained part of life here,” he said.
“Wollongong needs this service. Issues with a lack of parking are already rife, and making the service paid will not only drive traffic congestion up, it will make travel around Wollongong completely inaccessible to thousands of people.
“This includes more than 30,000 University of Wollongong students who rely on this service to get to campus and attend classes.
“Crowding may be an issue - but this is purely because so many people rely on this service to get around.”
“Making the Gong Shuttle paid might decrease crowding.
“It will, however, make getting out and about inaccessible for too many people. And a bus service with no passengers would be much more of a waste of money for Transport for NSW than a free bus could ever be.”
By 7.30pm on Wednesday, more than 3,200 people had added their name to the list of protesters.
The petition can be found here.