Urban Transit Authority facts for kids
| Statutory Authority overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 July 1980 |
| Preceding Statutory Authority |
|
| Dissolved | 15 January 1989 |
| Superseding agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | Sydney Newcastle |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
The Urban Transit Authority was a special government group in New South Wales, Australia. It was in charge of running and looking after buses and ferries. This group helped people travel around Sydney and Newcastle. It operated from July 1980 until January 1989.
Contents
A Look Back: How It Started
The Urban Transit Authority was created in 1980. Before this, a group called the Public Transport Commission managed all public transport. This commission was split into two new groups.
One new group, the State Rail Authority, took care of trains. The other group, the Urban Transit Authority, became responsible for buses and ferries. This change helped each type of transport focus on its own services.
The Urban Transit Authority worked for about nine years. In January 1989, a new organization took its place. This new group was called the State Transit Authority.
What Vehicles They Used
The Urban Transit Authority started with a large collection of vehicles. They inherited many buses and ferries from the previous transport group. They also added new ones over time.
Buses in the Fleet
When the Urban Transit Authority began, they had about 1,680 buses. These included different types like Leyland Worldmasters and Leyland Leopards. They also had many Mercedes-Benz O305 buses.
By 1987, the number of Mercedes-Benz O305 buses grew a lot. They had 1,287 of these buses, which was the largest fleet of that type in the world! These newer buses slowly replaced many of the older Leyland buses.
Ferries in the Fleet
The ferry fleet was also quite varied. Some ferries were very old, dating back to the 1910s. These included famous names like Kameruka and Kanangra.
They also had seven modern Lady class ferries. These ferries were named after important people, such as Cutler and McKell. For the busy Manly route, they had two large ferries: Baragoola and North Head.
The authority also used five fast hydrofoils. These boats could travel quickly above the water.
New Additions to the Fleet
The Urban Transit Authority introduced several new vessels. For the Manly service, they added four large Freshwater class ferries. These included the Freshwater and Queenscliff.
They also brought in two new hydrofoils, named Manly and Sydney. To improve services, they added nine First Fleet catamarans. These modern boats had names like Sirius and Supply.
Services Provided
The Urban Transit Authority did more than just manage vehicles. They also started new and useful transport services for people. These services made it easier to travel around the cities.
New Bus Routes
One new service was bus route 111, called the Sydney Explorer. This route started in November 1980. It was designed to help tourists see the sights of Sydney.
Another important route was 300, which connected Circular Quay to Sydney Airport. This route began in 1982. Both the Sydney Explorer and the airport bus used special Mercedes-Benz O305 buses. These buses had unique paint jobs, called "dedicated liveries," to make them stand out.
