NightRider (bus service)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This article is about the former nightly bus service in Melbourne. For the nightly bus service in Sydney, see NightRide (bus service).
NightRider
Overview
OwnerPublic Transport Victoria
LocaleMelbourne
Transit typeBus
Number of lines13
Websitewww.ptv.vic.gov.au/route/nightrider
Operation
Began operationMay 1993
Ended operation27 December 2015
Operator(s)Dysons
McKenzie's Tourist Services
Ventura Bus Lines
Headway30 minutes
System map

NightRider

The NightRider was a network of bus services in Melbourne, Australia. It operated on weekends and for special events from the Melbourne central business district to the outer suburbs on 13 routes, with over 300 stops between 01:30 (00:00 on the Doncaster route) and 04:30 on Saturdays and 05:30 on Sundays. NightRider ceased operation on 27 December 2015, being replaced by Night Network's Night Bus services which commenced operation in 2016.[1]

History

The NightRider network was launched in May 1993 with nine routes all originating on Swanston Street.[2] They were the first night routes in Melbourne after the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board withdrew its services in the 1960s.[3]

In November 2008, the NightRider network was overhauled. The logo and branding were replaced, and operators of several routes changed. New routes commenced to Doncaster, Healesville and Cranbourne. Frequencies were increased from 60 to 30 minutes. Due to Metro Trains Melbourne now running until 01:00, the first services were revised to depart at 01:30 instead of 00:30 on most services.

Route numbers were issued by Metlink for the first time (previously some operators did display them on buses) and are all in the 900 series, with the numbers corresponding to the predominant route number allocations at the outer termini. For example, many buses in the Dandenong area were in the 800s, hence the number 980 and 981 was allocated to them.

Originally fares were set at a flat $5 regardless of distance travelled.[2] From March 2007 standard Metcard tickets were adopted for use on the service.[4]

Buses were labelled with a large NightRider logo, and text saying "NightRider – The after midnight bus service".

Routes

Buses ran half hourly from 01:30 (00:00 on Doncaster route 961) to 04:30 on Saturdays and 05:30 on Sundays on the following routes:[5]

Route From To Via Operator
942 City St Albans Footscray, Sunshine & Deer Park Dysons
943 Deer Park Melton
Rockbank
 Dysons
944 City
Werribee
Hoppers Crossing
 Dysons
954 City Craigieburn
Broadmeadows
 Dysons
956 City Epping Brunswick, Coburg & Preston Dysons
958 City Eltham Fitzroy, Northcote & Heidelberg Dysons
961 City Doncaster
Templestowe
 Dysons
965 Lilydale Healesville
Yarra Glen
, Woori & Yallock 		McKenzie's Tourist Services
966 City Croydon Balwyn, Box Hill & Lilydale Ventura Bus Lines
968 City Belgrave
Glen Waverley & Westfield Knox
 Ventura Bus Lines
970 City Mornington St Kilda, Mentone & Frankston Ventura Bus Lines
980 City
Dandenong
 Prahran, Monash University & Springvale Ventura Bus Lines
981
Dandenong
 Cranbourne
Narre Warren, Berwick & Hampton Park
 Ventura Bus Lines

References

  1. ^ Night Bus Public Transport Victoria
  2. ^
    Australian Bus Panorama
    issue 8/9 June 1993 page 32
  3. ^ Nightrider Services Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/2 September 1992 page 27
  4. Department of Premier & Cabinet
    2 March 2007
  5. ^ NightRider buses Public Transport Victoria
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