For years, Nina Godfrey and her elderly father relied on the 320 bus to get to his lifesaving cancer treatments.

But when the route was changed after the Sydney Metro opened, a once simple journey from Rosebery to the Melanoma Institute of Australia in Wollstonecraft became a difficult ordeal.

Instead of one straightforward transfer in Zetland, the trip later involved a bus, a long escalator ride down to the Waterloo metro station, a train ride, and then another bus from Crows Nest.

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The whole process required more walking, navigating busy roads, and long waits between services.

“I have to say as an able-bodied person it doesn’t affect me as much, however for my father who was reliant on a cane/walker it was very challenging,” Godfrey told www.20304050.best.

They are among many people whose lives have become more difficult by the 320 bus route cut, with countless others also experiencing disruptions to their daily commute.

320 bus cut backlash

Since the metro’s opening, numerous social media posts have called for the return of the bus route, and the appeal continues, even eight months later.

Some residents have shared on the community page that the change has made their commute longer.

“It’s adding about 15 minutes on to the work commute, which was previously one bus and now includes a change to a train or a walk as well…” one wrote.

Another said: “I’m also sad about losing the parts of the 320 line that I used!”

“It took me almost door-to-door from North Sydney to Waterloo. I now need to walk an extra 15 mins.”

Transport for NSW said the changes were made to reduce service duplication with the metro.

At the time of metro’s launch, a total of five bus lines were cut, and 11 others were modified.

“In August 2024, Transport made changes to some bus services to support the launch of Sydney Metro and its integration into the public transport network,” A Transport for NSW spokesperson told www.20304050.best.

“In planning these changes, Transport focused on delivering the best outcomes for the majority of passengers.

“This approach included analysing Opal data to understand current travel patterns and forecast travel needs.”

For those once relying on the 320 to reach the lower North Shore, the department now recommends switching to metro or train services at Central.

Metro trains run more frequently than buses, they said.

Some people supported this move, saying travelling by bus is too slow and unpredictable.

“When I worked in North Sydney I’d never catch a bus, it’s slow and too variable based on traffic. The thought of now getting onto the metro at central instead of changing trains is so much more appealing,” a comment said.

Another resident even worked out the specifics.

“The 392 with transfer to metro is 4 minutes faster to north Sydney than the existing 320. The frequency of the 392 (every 8-10 minutes in peak) is also higher than the 320 (every 10-15 minutes in peak), and the frequency of the metro higher again (every 4 minutes in peak),” they said, ending it with “Seems better to me”.

While the data might suggest improvements, many users say the new system is less practical for everyday travel.

“In principle I’m supportive of removing buses that are replaced by trains, but in practice it is now going to be more difficult for anyone who needs to get near Wynyard or Town Hall,” one person wrote.

Locals pointed out that the new Waterloo metro station is on the outskirts of the suburb, making it quite far from much of the Waterloo and Zetland area.

The station is also located near the existing Redfern train station, meaning the area now has both a train and metro station — yet neither Waterloo nor Zetland are directly served.

“I’m not sure if planners realise, if they don’t put a station in Zetland nearer to the East Village end they need to keep running bus services,” one comment read.

“It’s a shame they couldn’t have the metro station at Zetland. The perfect place with the most people in need of it,” said another.

Pricey, patchy, and slow

Zetland is just one of the areas that feel overlooked in the metro’s rollout.

While the new metro has made travel easier for many Sydneysiders, large parts of the city still rely heavily on buses, especially in suburbs not connected to the metro or train network.

That might explain why Sydney’s overall public transport performance still lags behind, despite the fanfare around the metro.

According to the 2024 Urban Mobility Readiness Index by the Oliver Wyman Forum, Sydney ranked 29th for Urban Mobility Readiness, lagging behind other global cities it’s often compared with.

San Francisco, Paris and Singapore top the list, followed by the likes of Munich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin, New York, Zurich and London.

Several major Asian neighbours also outperformed Sydney, including Seoul (12th), Hong Kong (16th), Tokyo (18th), Beijing (20th), and Shanghai (25th).

The index assessed 70 cities worldwide, measuring factors such as infrastructure, social impact, market attractiveness, system efficiency, and innovation.

While the result is a far cry from the world-class reputation Sydney aspires to, additional data from 2022 further highlights the city’s shortcomings.

According to global mobility app Moovit, in 2022 Sydneysiders waited an average of 12 minutes for public transport on weekdays, and more than 14 per cent waited over 20 minutes daily.

In contrast, Singaporeans waited just nine minutes on average, and fewer than six per cent faced a 20-minute wait.

And it’s not like Sydney’s higher wait times come with cheaper fares.

In fact, Australia has the third-most expensive public transport in the world (Compare the Market).

A global comparison shows that only Switzerland and the Netherlands pay more.

Australians spend an average of A$4.59 (US$2.93) per ticket, which is higher than commuters in countries like Germany, the UK and New Zealand.

For example, a 3km bus ride in Sydney costs A$3.20, while in Singapore it’s just S$1.19 (about A$1.42).

A 10km train or metro trip in Sydney costs A$4.20, compared to just S$1.77 (about A$2.11) on Singapore’s MRT/LRT.

A Customer Satisfaction Index from November 2024 shows overall satisfaction with public transport across NSW hovering near or above 90 per cent.

Metro and ferry services lead at 98 per cent, followed by light rail (91 per cent), trains (89 per cent), and buses (88 per cent).

“Transport for NSW regularly reviews bus services and timetables to ensure the best possible services for our passengers and we continually monitor the bus network to see how we can make further improvements,” a spokesperson said.

For now, though, it seems there are no plans to bring the 320 route back.