Introduction
This case study of the Busted Bus Stops Campaign by Sweltering Cities in Australia demonstrates how community-led, creative action can spotlight local issues.
The campaign began from conversations with community members, including a family from Minchinbury who struggle to wait in the heat at an unshaded bus stop with no seating. Stories from older people, students, and others who rely on the bus highlighted how infrequent and delayed services often leave them waiting in extreme heat. These shared experiences from across the community sparked a broader campaign.
Through initiatives like the popular “Worst Bus Stop Competition,” the campaign draws attention to something as basic as safe, shaded bus stops. It highlights the intersections of extreme heat, poor infrastructure, vulnerable populations and geographic disadvantage showing what communities can achieve when they act together.
This case study offers ideas and inspiration for other groups seeking to highlight local issues and drive change. By enabling residents to collect and share evidence, Sweltering Cities has created a replicable model for turning everyday experiences of risk or discomfort into campaigns for justice, health and climate resilience.
The campaign is ongoing – more information can be found at the Busted Bus Stops Campaign.
Campaign Context
The Busted Bus Stops Campaign began with conversations with Western Sydney residents about catching a bus in summer without shade, shelter or seating. In response to these challenges, Sweltering Cities launched the Busted Bus Stops Campaign to create a central map of bus stop infrastructure and unveil the comparative disadvantage across Sydney’s suburbs.
On hot days, people across Sydney wait for buses in dangerous temperatures. These bus stops frequently lack adequate shade and infrastructure to protect patrons from extreme weather, including seating and shelter.
Waiting at a bus stop without shade or shelter for extended periods exposes patrons to extreme levels of UV radiation, leaving them vulnerable to skin damage, sunburn, heat stroke, dehydration, and skin cancer. Cancer Council NSW finds that good quality shade can reduce these risks by up to 75%, emphasising the necessity of providing adequate shelter at bus stops to protect public health.
The social consequences of inadequate public transport infrastructure are also profound, contributing to feelings of isolation, disconnection, and an inability to commute safely, particularly on hot days. These health and social consequences are heightened for vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and pregnant women, highlighting the urgency of addressing the gap in bus stop infrastructure provision.
Campaign Goals
- Ensuring 75% of all stops have shelter, prioritising schools, aged care homes, hospitals and social housing.
- The NSW Government commits funding to fund up 2000 new shelters in Western Sydney.
Gathering and Showing the Evidence
The campaign began by building a strong evidence base to clearly demonstrate the problem. This included mapping bus stops, collecting lived experience stories from community members and engaging the public through initiatives like the Worst Bus Stop Competition.
These methods combined data, personal experiences, and community engagement to highlight the urgent need for improved bus stop infrastructure.
Mapping
In 2022, community members began mapping local bus stops as part of the Busted Bus Stops Campaign, photographing and recording details about shade, seating, and shelter. In the Penrith LGA alone, over 500 stops were mapped—70% lacking basic infrastructure.
Working with the University of Sydney’s School of Geosciences, students expanded the project, mapping more than 2,000 stops across Sydney and examining how urban heat and social geography affect access to safe public transport. Altogether, over 2,500 bus stops were documented, with nearly 60% found to have no infrastructure at all, exposing stark inequalities between Eastern and Western Sydney.
This community-led research used a simple online form linked to ArcGIS, allowing residents to submit data, photos and comments.
The result is a powerful evidence base showing where investment in bus stop infrastructure is most urgently needed.
Gathering Lived Experience Evidence
- Sue’s Story – “I’m worried about isolation”: Sue’s story of living in one of Australia’s hottest suburbs
Sue lives in Penrith, one of the hottest suburbs in Australia. As someone who enjoys outdoor hobbies and requires plenty of exercise to manage her chronic illness, Sue worries about the health and wellbeing implications of extreme heat Sue spoke to Sweltering Cities a week following a major heat wave that hit NSW in early… - Helen’s Story
…Helen shared her perspectives on how her family members are impacted by the terrible bus stops in their suburbs. Helen and her husband sometimes use the bus to go on outings. They have two bus stops near them and both are unsheltered and without seats….
Worst Bus Stop Competition
The campaign ran a Worst Bus Stop competition, a great way to engage the community and gather visual evidence to bring attention to the campaign. They received almost 500 votes. The Erskine Park stop 275912 was voted the worst bus stop in Sydney with its lack of shelter, seating, shade, accessibility and proximity to a busy road.
Other Actions Taken by the Campaign
In addition to mapping bus stops and gathering evidence, the campaign engaged the community in several other ways to strengthen their advocacy.
Survey
In 2022, the campaign ran the Summer Survey, which revealed strong community support for better public transport. 74.5% of respondents agreed that “Public transport should be powered by renewable energy and accessible in hot suburbs,” while 50.5% said they wanted more seats and shade at their local bus stops.
Petition
To further amplify community voices, the campaign launched a Bus Stop Petition, gathering signatures to support improved bus stop infrastructure.
Campaign Report
The Busted Bus Stops Report compiled community stories, maps of Sydney’s bus stop infrastructure and policy recommendations. It drew media attention, including coverage by the Sydney Morning Herald, helping to raise awareness of the issue.
Taking Evidence to the Decision Makers
The campaign translated community-collected evidence into advocacy at the highest levels. In 2024, findings and recommendations were presented to the NSW Government Inquiry into Public Transport Needs in Western Sydney.
The campaign also engaged directly with elected officials. On March 5, 2025, Western Sydney Community Campaigners met with the Member for Liverpool, Charishma Kaliyanda, to discuss ongoing advocacy and the urgent need to address unsafe bus stops.
These actions ensured that lived experiences and community evidence were central to decision-making processes affecting local public transport infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
Make it Visual
The campaign has used striking photos, maps and stories to communicate the scale and human impact of the issue.
Visual evidence such as images of how hot it is at a bus stop (63.5 degrees!) or maps showing inequality across the city makes the problem tangible and compelling for both the public and policymakers.
Tell Human Stories
Personal accounts like Sue’s and Helen’s grounded the data in lived experience, helping decision-makers understand that this is not just about infrastructure, but about people’s daily safety, health and dignity.
Connect Evidence to Action
The Busted Bus Stops Campaign demonstrates how community-led research can turn local frustration into collective power. By gathering data, building partnerships, and taking evidence directly to government inquiries, the campaign has made a clear, evidence-based case for urgent investment in bus stop infrastructure.
Learn More
About the Organisation
Sweltering Cities is an organisation in Sydney, Australia that works at the intersection of climate justice, inequality and health. They build grassroots power, tell compelling stories of extreme heat impacts and win strategic campaigns that make a difference.
Other Examples of Similar Campaigns
- In 2024 a self-conditioning bus shelter will be operational in Seville (powered by solar energy)
- Penrith bus shelter beats the heat – a Climate Adapted People Shelter (CAPS)
- Hottest in LA Bus Stop Map
- Heat Action Plans and Case Studies, Global Heat Health Information Network
- In one Indian city, reflective paint and bus stop sprinklers offer relief from killer heat
- Small but Significant: A Review of Research on the Potential of Bus Shelters as Resilient Infrastructure
- Green Roofs on Vienna’s Bus Stops: A Step Towards Climate Resilient Transport Facilities
- How to adapt your city to extreme heat
- Fare-Free Buses and Bus Shelters, Boston Climate Action Network
- “It’s like a sweatbox:” Houston bus stops reach dangerous temperatures this summer
- Timeline of the Better Buses Campaign
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