The government says too many vehicles are arriving in the snow-covered regions under-equipped for the dangerous winter road conditions.
It highlights two recent incidents: a vehicle not equipped with snow chains slid off an icy road in dangerous conditions and another driver failed to slow down enough for conditions and ended up down an embankment.
The government says its bus service is experiencing record-breaking demand with a 30% increase in passenger numbers compared to 2024.
So far this year, more than 28,000 trips were made on services connecting Cooma, Berridale, Jindabyne, Perisher, Thredbo and Bullocks Flat.
More than 3000 journeys were recorded during the first weekend of the NSW school holidays alone which prompted extra peak services every 30 minutes between Jindabyne and Perisher.
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison says the bus service is one safe alternative.
“(It’s) making a real difference, especially for people without four-wheel drives or experience fitting snow chains,” she says.
“Fewer cars on the road helps keep those key routes open for everyone.”
“Good snow doesn’t mean good driving conditions. We want the thrills to stay on the slopes, not on icy roads,” she says.
“My advice to drivers is to plan ahead, sign up for alerts, and consider public transport, so the only drama you face this snow season is picking between Perisher and Thredbo.”
SAFETY MEASURES
The government is ramping up snow-clearing and began network management strategies to handle the spike in demand.
Motorists are now encouraged to sign up for a free SMS Alert Service via the Driving in Snow webpage.
The alerts notify travellers when car parks are full or when key alpine roads like Kosciuszko Road or Alpine Way are temporarily closed due to conditions.
The government says a National Parks pass or ski lift ticket does not guarantee road access during closures; this means public transport or the Skitube may be the only way to reach the snowfields during peak days.
