All aboard Uni express

Friday 18 February 2005

University of Newcastle Chancellor, Professor Trevor Waring will be among the first to try the new Uni-express bus service on Monday morning, 21 February 2005.

Professor Waring will be at the bus stop in Glebe Road the Junction (near Kenrick Street) at 8am and will join route 223 to the University (leaving at 8.23am).

He will arrive at the Maths building bus stop at Callaghan Campus around 8.50am.

The service has been established by the University with cooperation from Newcastle buses as a trial to test demand for express travel. The University will review the service at the semester break commencing on 8 April 2005.

It has only city stops before traveling to the Mater hospital and then to the University (Callaghan). The journey is expected to take about 25 minutes. There are four morning services on this 223 route and five return services in the afternoon, Callaghan to the Junction.

A second single express service, route 227, runs from Charlestown's Smart Street stop to Westfield Kotara, the Mater hospital and on to the University. Again, the journey is expected to take 25 minutes.

Phillip Pollard from the University's Facilities Planning, says this service will give students and staff an opportunity to get to the University in the same time as it takes to drive without the hassle of looking for a car park when they arrive.

"The return fare for students is $2.60, based on a 4 hour ticket, and that is cheaper than what it costs to park on campus and travel times are comparable with driving," he said.

The express bus (227) will commence at 8.17am from Charlestown.
Express buses (223) run hourly from 8.23am departing at the Junction.

For interviews and information contact Phillip Pollard on 02 4921 6500.