All aboard in August for free trip around the CBD

The much-anticipated free Parramatta city centre shuttle bus service, called The Loop, is expect to commence at the end of August. The cost of purchasing the three buses and the street furniture at each stop was $1.5 million council said. It has budgeted for an on-going running cost of $550,000 per year, funded through parking meters income and sponsor support. “As the economic capital of Western Sydney, as the gateway to Australia’s fastest growing region, Parramatta is in need of a quick, reliable and low-pollution transport system around the city (sic),” Lord Mayor, Paul Barber, said. The 4.1-kilometre loop of the CBD should take 20 minutes.