The Outer Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts (OSMBSC)Buses and coaches , Transport for NSW, Retrieved 23 July 2016 are contracts issued by the Government of New South Wales to bus operators in areas surrounding Sydney. These regions include the Hunter Region, Central Coast, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains. In 2016–17, 21.6 million passenger journeys were made on Outer Metropolitan bus services.

History

The OSMBSC was initially made up of ten bus system contract regions, OSMBSC 1 to 10.Outer Metropolitan Bus System Contract Regions , Transport for NSW, Retrieved 8 July 2014 These regions were declared and appeared in the NSW Government Gazette on 1 August 2008.NSW Government Gazette 1 August 2008 , Retrieved 8 July 2014

Unlike the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts which are put out to open tender, the government has indicated it does not intend to go down this path with the OSMBSCs, but negotiate with the incumbent operators.Annual Report 2012 Bus & Coach Association NSWBus Customers to Benefit from Outer Metropolitan Contract Negotiations Minister for Transport 27 April 2013

Like the bus contracts in Sydney, a requirement of the OSMBSC contracts is that operators cease using their own liveries and adopt a standardised white and two blues livery as prescribed by Transport for NSW. This livery was first implemented from 2010. As of 2014, the transition to the standardised livery is ongoing.

Originally, regions OSMBSC 6 and OSMBSC 9 each had two operators. In 2013–2014, each of the operators in OSMBSC 6 and OSMBSC 9 were offered separate individual contracts, resulting in the creation of two new regions OSMBSC 11 & 12 from OSMBSC 6 and OSMBSC 9 respectively. This gives a total of 12 regions, with each region having one operator. There was no change of operators or takeover of services between operators. However, Coastal Liner (now Hunter Valley Buses) continues to operate some trips on routes 78, 80, 91 and 98 in Busways region OSMBSC 6.

All OSMBSC contracts were renewed between 1 July 2014 and 2 January 2015, including the Newcastle Buses & Ferries contract for region 5, which was renewed for three years from 1 July 2014.Annual Report 30 June 2014 page 89 State Transit Authority At the end of the three year renewal, region 5 was replaced by NISC 001, with Keolis Downer operating as Newcastle Transport taking over bus and ferry services from Newcastle Buses & Ferries in July 2017.

It was announced in July 2021 that OSMBSC regions 6 and 7 would be put up to tender. OSMBSC region 7 was put out to tender in September 2021. The incumbent operator for OSMBSC region 6 (Busways) retained the contract, with the new contract commencing on 6 July 2024 for eight years. The incumbent operator for OSMBSC region 7 (Red Bus Services) formed a joint venture with CDC NSW to retain the contract which commenced 28 July 2024 for seven years.

Regions The list of regions and its respective operators in the Transport for NSW or the eTendering NSW website. The information is accurate .

Hunter, Newcastle & Central Coast Region Location Operators End date ofcurrent contract OSMBSC 1 Cessnock, Kurri Kurri Rover Coaches(Buslines Group) 30 June 2028 OSMBSC 2 Maitland, Raymond Terrace Hunter Valley Buses(CDC NSW) 30 June 2028 OSMBSC 3 Port Stephens Port Stephens Coaches 30 June 2028 OSMBSC 4 Toronto, Wyee, Morisset Hunter Valley Buses(CDC NSW) 30 June 2028 NISC 1(formerly OSMBSC 5) Newcastle, Charlestown Newcastle Transport(Keolis Downer) 30 June 2027 OSMBSC 6 Wyong, Tuggerah, Gosford Busways 27 July 2031 OSMBSC 7 Gosford, The Entrance Red Bus CDC NSW(CDC NSW) 30 June 2032 OSMBSC 11 Wyong Hunter Valley Buses(CDC NSW) 30 June 2028

OSMBSC 11 used to be part of OSMBSC 6 until 2014, when it was created as a separate contract region. Its routes were formerly operated by Coastal Liner until it was acquired by ComfortDelGro Australia and its subsidiary Hunter Valley Buses on 1 August 2018.

NISC 1 used to be OSMBSC 5 until July 2017, and was operated by Newcastle Buses & Ferries.

OSMBSC 7 was operated by Red Bus Services until July 2024, when the latter was rebranded as Red Bus CDC NSW and fully acquired by ComfortDelGro Australia.

Blue Mountains Region Location Operators End date ofcurrent contract OSMBSC 8 Katoomba, Springwood, Penrith Blue Mountains Transit(CDC NSW) 30 June 2028

Blue Mountains Transit routes were formerly operated by the Blue Mountains Bus Company until taken over by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge (now ComfortDelGro Australia) and its subsidiary Blue Mountains Transit in December 2014.

Illawarra Region Location Operators End date ofcurrent contract OSMBSC 9 HelensburghPremier Charters(Premier Transport Group) 30 June 2028 OSMBSC 10 Wollongong SouthPremier Illawarra(Premier Transport Group) 30 June 2028 OSMBSC 12 Wollongong NorthDion's Bus Service 30 June 2028

Premier Charters' region 9 routes were operated by Green's Northern Coaches, until taken over by Premier Transport Group in February 2015. OSMBSC 12 used to be part of OSMBSC 9 until 2014, when it was created as a separate contract region.

Patronage

+ Annual Patronage per Region from 2017 to 2025Opal Trips - Bus Transport for NSW Open Data Rank Region Operator 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total % Change 2017–24 Total % Change 2024-25 1 OSMBSC 10 Premier Illawarra 4,294,6904,343,1884,337,631 3,154,189 2,594,513 3,243,158 3,813,377 3,914,649 3,932,017 2 OSMBSC 6 Busways 4,071,4894,559,1994,797,179 3,046,639 2,458,669 2,836,008 3,248,651 3,223,846 3,045,422 3 OSMBSC 7 Red Bus Service 2,565,8502,391,8992,350,896 1,541,501 1,428,086 1,531,515 1,641,988 1,563,039 1,496,206 4 NISC Newcastle Transport 4,840,7345,445,8874,775,355 3,075,518 2,686,682 2,478,333 3,376,530 3,424,192 1,456,634 5 OSMBSC 8 Blue Mountains Transit 1,208,3181,223,7731,267,793 696,522 514,236 733,138 1,040,893 1,119,787 1,189,599 6 OSMBSC 12 Dion's Bus Service 661,649721,573753,457 536,794 460,813 530,480 628,561 715,743 717,581 7 OSMBSC 4 Hunter Valley Buses 908,598880,380981,596 620,029 499,236 530,420 614,203 621,545 606,326 8 OSMBSC 2 1,741,2861,430,0961,472,078 870,123 667,901 527,156 631,907 607,654 596,640 9 OSMBSC 3 Port Stephens Coaches 363,488368,397412,164 224,934 211,262 232,035 279,264 317,221 330,210 10 OSMBSC 9 Premier Charters 321,232331,140342,676 229,651 163,517 179,409 239,711 246,232 245,816 11 OSMBSC 1 Rover Coaches 581,377577,492494,007 330,797 248,180 237,339 246,060 236,254 228,152 12 OSMBSC 11 Hunter Valley Buses 102,79788,91278,333 41,849 29,039 33,450 33,739 34,651 33,897 TOTAL 21,661,50822,361,93622,063,165 14,368,546 11,462,898 13,092,441 15,794,884 16,024,813 13,878,500

See also Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts

References