Opal Trips - Bus

This dataset contains Official Bus Utilisation figures. Opal tap-on/tap-off data (representing an individual boarding and alighting a bus) is aggregated to a total monthly figure representing the estimated number of trips.

Starting July 1, 2024, the methodology for calculating trip numbers for individual lines and operators will change to more accurately reflect the services our passengers use within the transport network. This new approach will apply to trains, metros, light rail, and ferries, and will soon be extended to buses. Aggregations between line, agency, and mode levels will no longer be valid, as a passenger may use multiple lines on a single trip. Trip numbers at the line, operator, or mode level should be used as reported, without further combinations.More information on NRT ROAM can be accessed here

**Caution **

1. School Student travel using concessional Opal cards is included. However this may be underrepresented, due to inconsistent tap-on/tap-off behaviour by students

2. Magnetic Stripe Ticketing (MST – paper tickets) data was also available in July 2016. MST patronage data for July is available here

3. Opal data may be subject to minor revision for the two months following upload

4. Data is static at a point in time, and may not match other reports that are real time

5. All non-Opal travel is excluded, for example transport concession entitlement cards, integrated ticketing for major events, and fare non-compliance

6. An Opal Trip is defined as a tap-on/tap-off pair (including where only a single tap-on or tap-off is recorded)

7. 'Other' group under bus contract includes NightRide and Unallocated.

8. Keolis Downer Hunter took over the Newcastle Bus franchise from Newcastle Buses (State Transit Authority) effective 1 July 2017. The contract area NISC1 reflects this and Keolis Downer Hunter figures for Jul 2017 onwards are included as part of Private Bus Operator numbers. From January 2018 NISC1 includes non-Opal categories of On Demand and Other. The category ‘Other’ includes: Fare Free Zone, Integrated Ticketing, Free Travel Passes, Route 110 Newcastle City Loop, Park and Ride, and Special Events.

9. Transit Systems West took over the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 6 from Sydney Buses (State Transit Authority) effective 1 July 2018. The contract area SBSC Contract 6 reflects this and Transit Systems West figures for Jul 2018 onwards are included as part of Private Bus Operator numbers.

10. Figures in Jul 2017 for Newcastle Buses reflect services operated by STA which completed post-midnight 30 June 2017.

11. NightRide services are included in Sydney Metropolitan Bus Services Contract (SMBSC) areas from 1 March 2018 onwards.

12. Keolis Downer Northern Beaches took over the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 8 from Sydney Buses (State Transit Authority) effective 31 October 2021. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 8 (GSBC008) reflects this and Keolis Downer Northern Beaches figures for Nov 2021 onwards are included as part of Private Bus Operator numbers.

13. Busways North West took over the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 7 from Sydney Buses (State Transit Authority) effective 9 January 2022. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 7 (GSBC007) reflects this and Busways North West figures for Jan 2022 onwards are included as part of Private Bus Operator numbers.

14. Transdev John Holland took over the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 9 from Sydney Buses (State Transit Authority) effective 3 April 2022. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 9 (GSBC009) reflects this and Transdev John Holland figures for April 2022 onwards are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

15. CDC NSW took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 12 and 14 from Transdev and Forest Coaches, effective 21 May 2023. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 14 (GSBC014) reflects this and CDC NSW figures after 21 May 2023 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

16. U-Go Mobility took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 05 and 10 from Punchbowl and Transdev NSW, effective 1 July 2023. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 10 (GSBC010) reflects this and U-Go MObility figures after July 2023 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

17. Transit Systems NSW took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 3 and 13 from Transit Systems and Transdev NSW, effective 6 August 2023. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 3 (GSBC003) reflects this and Transit Systems NSW figures after 6 August 2023 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

18. Transit Systems NSW SW took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 2 and 15 from Interline and Busabout, effective 8 October 2023. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 2 (GSBC002) reflects this and Transit Systems NSW SW figures after 8 October 2023 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

19. Busways R1 took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 1, effective 10 December 2023. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 1 (GSBC001) reflects this and Busways R1 figures after 10 December 2023 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

20. CDC NSW R4 took over Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts 4, effective 10 March 2024. The contract area Greater Sydney Bus Contract 4 (GSBC004) reflects this and CDC NSW R4 figures after 10 March 2024 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

21. Redbus CDC NSW took over Outer Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 7, effective 6 July 2024. The contract area Outer Metro Bus Services Contract 7 (OMBSC007) reflects this and Redbus CDC NSW figures after 6 July 2024 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

22. Busways OMR6 took over Outer Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contract 6, effective 28 July 2024. The contract area Outer Metro Bus Services Contract 6 (OMBSC006) reflects this and Busways OMR6 figures after 28 July 2024 are included as part of the Private Bus Operator numbers.

You can find the bus contract boundaries in shapefile format in the Metro / Outer Metro Bus Contract boundaries dataset