The Northern Beaches Council has announced significant cuts to its popular Hop, Skip and Jump free bus service.
Changes to the service will come into effect on 1 July 2025, with all but one route to be discontinued amid declining patronage and mounting financial pressures.
Many elderly residents depend on the free Hop, Skip and Jump bus to maintain their independence. But come July next year, their lifeline to the community will vanish as four of the five routes face the axe.
“This is a disaster,” says local resident Gayle McKnight in our Northern Beaches Living Facebook group. “Older residents of Seaforth rely on this service to get to Balgowlah and then onto Manly. Keoride is not available in this area, and older residents who don’t drive will be left stranded. A disgraced decision. Particularly given the reduction in local bus services.”
The Council’s decision to drastically reduce the beloved community service hasn’t been well received, even as officials point to stark numbers showing patronage has nearly halved – from 318,037 riders in 2018/19 to just 174,316 in 2023/24.
“We did not make this decision lightly,” says Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins, acknowledging the community attachment to the service. But with costs spiralling toward $1.8 million next year and several ageing buses needing replacement, the Council found itself at a crossroads.
“At the end of the day we have a responsibility to all of our ratepayers across the Northern Beaches to ensure services are equitable and fair and financially sustainable,” says the Mayor.
Only the popular Route 1, serving Manly via the Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre and Little Manly, will survive the cuts. “We managed to save the primary route that is still well patronised,” explains Councillor Sarah Grattan in our Facebook group, who helped preserve what she could of the service. “But the use of local routes in our area had dropped a lot.”
“Public transport is not something local government is supposed to provide, it is a state government responsibility,” Sarah explains. “We were filling a gap…but not enough people were donating a gold coin or tapping to pay.”
While Council points out that 99% of Manly ward residents live within walking distance of state-operated bus stops, another local resident, Jason Keidge questions the broader direction in our Facebook group: “Why are rates going up if services are being reduced?” he asks, suggesting cuts to “top heavy” management instead of community services.
The Council is negotiating to introduce the Keoride service in affected areas. If you haven’t heard of Keoride before, it’s like an uber for buses and provided by the Keolis Downer transport company. The new on-demand service is currently being trialled on the Northern Beaches as part of the on-demand public transport pilot program for the NSW Government.
Meanwhile, the surviving Manly Route 1 will see improvements, including extended journey times and possible new features like live tracking apps.
As the July 2025 deadline approaches, the Council promises an 18-month follow-up review on the impact of these changes. But for now, many Northern Beaches seniors are left wondering what will fill the gap left by their trusted Hop, Skip and Jump.
