NSW government to consider reviving axed bus services, but won’t rip up private contracts

Last year the NSW New South Wales government conducted an inquiry into the privatisation of bus services, which recommended returning services to public hands. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

Bus routes that were axed under the previous New South Wales government could soon be resurrected, the new Minns government has said. However Labor has vowed it will not rip up any contracts despite blaming privatisation for a deterioration in service quality.

The NSW transport minister, Jo Haylen, called for communities to voice their support for particular routes they want to see return, as she unveiled the Bus Industry Taskforce on Monday, which will examine the consequences of bus privatisation as well as other issues plaguing the sector such as driver shortages.