THE St Ives High School Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association will meet with Matt Kean MP, Alister Henskens MP and Jonathan O’Dea MP on February 4 to discuss the shortcomings of public transport infrastructure for students at St Ives High. P&C will encourage the state members to present their case and evidence before the new Minister for Transport, the Hon. David Elliott MP. 

As reported in the January edition in The Post, enrolments at St Ives High have increased by 50% since 2015. However, there has been no corresponding increase in the number and frequency of transport services available to students. Many students rely on a combination of different transport service providers (Transdev, Forest Lines and Sydney Trains), with too few services and unsynchronised timetables resulting in missed connections, delays and an unpredictable commute time. 

In addition to campaigning for student bus services from St Ives High to Gordon Station to keep pace with the growing number of enrolled students, the P&C are also lobbying for more frequent 582 bus services (St Ives High to Gordon Station), an additional Forest Line 245 service to St Ives Chase, and an extension of the 591 bus route (Hornsby to St Ives Shops) to also include a St Ives High Yarrabung Road loop. 

More frequent train services between Asquith and Mt Ku-ring-gai are also needed. There is a 30 minute wait between each train at the afternoon bell, so if students miss the 3.45 pm from Gordon it can take them upwards of an hour and a half to get home.

Since the article’s publication, Transport for NSW has reached out to The Post.

“Transport for NSW, together with the operator, Transdev, will be implementing a range of service improvements to provide better connectivity to St Ives High School from January 28 2022,” says a spokesperson from Transport for NSW. 

“There will be up to 25 new additional weekly school services, which will service the school from Gordon Station. Changes will also be made to route 591, where one service will be extended to the school to provide extended coverage and better connectivity for students travelling to and from school.” 

The P&C are satisfied and an extended 591 bus route will alleviate overcrowding on the Forest Coach Line 245 service and enable students living between St Ives and Hornsby to travel directly to and from school, significantly reducing their travel time. But without routing details or an official timetable, the P&C cannot assess whether the school’s specific needs have been addressed.  

Enrolment figures for 2022 reveal a second Forest Coach Line 245 service is needed to transport students living further afield in St Ives Chase. Additionally, P&C are unsure whether these new services consider the school’s early 2:15 pm finish on Tuesdays.

“We assume that the additional services aim to alleviate capacity issues at regular bell times before and after school. However, our students also need to travel to and from school outside of ‘regular’ bell times,” says Liz Paul, St Ives High P&C Working Group Convenor. 

The P&C will continue campaigning to ensure public transport services caters for extracurricular activities commencing at 7:30 am, and mandatory senior student Period Zero and Period Six classes (scheduled before and after regular school bell times).

“The issues surrounding transport to the school are significant. While improvements such as additional buses to Gordon are good, much more is required to provide adequate public transport for all the students, at all the times they are required to travel to and from school,” says Emma, a St Ives High parent from Hornsby. 

Emma, whose child spends 2.5 hours a day commuting to and from their “local” co-educational high school, feels the data collected by Transdev during on-site monitoring last year was not a true reflection of the school’s transportation problems. 

“We have been told that Transdev were monitoring the number of students on buses to identify if there are any issues,” she says. “However, it’s impossible to get an accurate assessment of demand based on a service which is so unreliable [that] students who use it consistently get into trouble for being late…There are a number of parents who drive their children to school due to lack of transport. They are not counted, even though they would use the transport if it existed.” 

Emma also claims the lack of suitable transport options pushes students to make unsafe transport choices. Groups of students travelling to St Ives High for the morning bell alight the 591 bus early for the 194X (St Ives to City QVB), crossing roads without pedestrian crossings. They are forced to do this because there is no direct bus from Hornsby to St Ives High. It is a half hour walk from St Ives shops where the 591 currently terminates to school. 

“Even at high school age, these students don’t have fully developed speed perception and it’s easy to follow a group and not carefully check for vehicles,” says Emma. “This is particularly difficult at the Killeaton St and Link Road intersection, as many vehicles do not use indicators. Cars turn across in front of the students when the students aren’t expecting it.” 

The P&C are confident these safety concerns will be resolved with an extended 591 Hornsby to St Ives bus service that includes a ‘St Ives High loop’ and bus stop located adjacent to the school. 

The Post Publisher, Tina Brown asks, “Why have Transport for NSW been so slow to respond to the desperate need for improved transport to St Ives High? It is a basic expectation that if you enrol your child at their local public co-ed high school student transport services exist to get them to school for classes and extracurriculars. Expecting parents to drive their child to school is not a realistic solution, especially if you live in the Northern Draw.” 

The Post will continue to follow the progress of the issues facing students attending St Ives High School.