New Transdev boss denies deliberate bus cancellations

The new boss of a private transport company that runs about a quarter of Sydney's buses denies government claims it has deliberately cancelled services if it can't meet "on time" targets.

Transdev Australasia CEO Brian Brennan, whose was appointed this week, agrees late or cancelled services are frustrating for commuters.

"Any of us who are inconvenienced by public transport, it is frustrating," Mr Brennan told AAP.

He rejected claims by incoming Labor NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen that Transdev and other private companies operating the state's bus network deliberately drop services to avoid financial penalties for failing to meet "on time running" targets.

"It's certainly not how Transdev have been running the franchises," Mr Brennan said.

"It's our responsibility to customers, communities and clients, and ultimately in our own best interest to perform well with on-time running and customer satisfaction."

As a major private provider of public transport across Sydney, including ferries, light rail and hundreds of bus services, Labor targeted Transdev during the state election as it campaigned against the privatisation of public assets.

Ms Haylen said contracts formulated by the previous coalition government created financial incentives to cancel bus services rather than let them run late.

Since being introduced, the provisions have been blamed for leaving millions of passengers stranded at bus stops waiting for buses that never come, with Ms Haylen saying last week 28,000 buses were cancelled across Sydney in August.

Mr Brennan said he is willing to work with a task force flagged by the Labor government to look at issues in the bus network.

A spokesperson for Ms Haylen told AAP the task force was still on the agenda with more details to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Labor has said it would explore putting the state's bus network back in public hands, at the same time admitting this would be difficult due to existing contracts, some of which run for the next ten years. 

"The government has said that 'we're going to set up a task force' - we'll be happy to help or assist in any way that the government feels appropriate," Mr Brennan said.

"What we're focused on is delivering services reliably, improving customer service and trying to make sure on-time running is as high as it possibly can be."

Mr Brennan, a transport enthusiast, said his daily work commute on Sydney's light rail, which even he calls "the tram", allowed him to experience the service from a customer perspective.

"I love the fact getting the tram in each day I interact with staff, I can assess and live the experience and I am obsessive about performance," Mr Brennan said.

Sydney would see more electric buses and potentially electric ferries in the future as the company looks to decarbonise services. 

Mr Brennan, 57, has worked in the transportation industry for 23 years in the UK, Ireland and Australia.

In 2015, he became managing director of Transdev Sydney Light Rail operations, deputy CEO of Transdev Australasia in January, before stepping up to CEO.