Bus cancellations update

We’d like to publically acknowledge the increase in bus cancellations on the Metlink network at the moment, and apologise for the frustration and inconvenience this is causing for our customers.

There are a number of reasons why there are more cancellations at the moment; recent rest break legislation and route extensions into the CBD required additional drivers; heading towards Christmas a number of our drivers who worked through all alert levels are taking well-earned breaks, and we’re experiencing higher levels of sickness and fatigue. We're supporting our operators to try and minimise the impact for customers as much as possible, which includes avoiding lower frequency or essential trips and cancelling services with as much notice as possible so passengers can make alternate plans.

Fortunately schools are finishing up for the year which will free up a lot of peak resources and should reduce the number of cancellations across the network. We’d also like to assure you that we’re already proactively working with our operators to ensure that we are in the best position to provide full services when patronage picks up in the new year.

We sincerely apologise for the impact these cancellations have had on you recently, and we appreciate your ongoing understanding and patience.