Sydney\u2019s Northern Beaches council has banned bikini-clad and shirtless passengers from riding its free community bus service after receiving feedback from passengers.<\/p>\n
The Hop, Skip and Jump is a daily 30-seat shuttle bus that services the coastal suburbs of Manly, Fairlight and Balgowlah and is frequented by beachgoers.<\/p>\n
On Friday morning, Seven\u2019s Sunrise program aired a segment showing a sign erected in Manly that read: \u201cHop, Skip and Jump Bus stop here. Please dress appropriately. Clothing must be worn over swimwear.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement on Friday, the council cited legislation that allows council bus drivers to refuse entry where a passenger\u2019s clothing is \u201clikely to dirty or damage the vehicle, or cause inconvenience or damage to other passengers or the driver\u201d.<\/p>\n
This can include circumstances where \u201ca passenger is wearing wet or sandy clothing that could impact the cleanliness and comfort of the shared transport environment\u201d, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
When asked whether dry swimwear was permitted, a spokesperson said: \u201cCouncil drivers cannot tell if swimwear is wet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sunrise\u2019s clip, posted to social media, received a mixed reaction to the new rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cWelcome to 1920s Sydney \u2026 oops 2020s,\u201d one commenter said.<\/p>\n
Another said: \u201cThe Council should focus on their core business activities. Try not to be the fashion police.\u201d<\/p>\n
But others agreed with the ban.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has always been a golden rule that you cover swimwear if you walk more than a block across from the beach,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n
Another claimed \u201cthe complaints started with the proliferation of Brazilian style really brief g strings\u201d.<\/p>\n
Candy Bingham, the deputy mayor of the Northern Beaches council, told the Daily Telegraph that some swimwear is \u201cconfronting\u201d to elderly passengers, especially fashionable<\/a> \u201cthong-style bikinis\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girls get on and all they have on is their bikinis,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are worried about the hygiene aspect when they sit on the seats \u2026 swimmers, wet from the beach and covered in sand, make a mess and leave the seats damp.\u201d<\/p>\n