Today’s Victorian State Budget headlined transport. For the first time, buses have got the recognition they deserve as the fast, affordable cost-of living solution for millions of Victorian families. But, the new bus announcements are only one step towards the transformation of the bus system the West needs to deliver real cost-of-living relief.
“The Premier was absolutely right to say that good public transport radically changes the lives of young people. Commitments to free public transport for young people are welcome, but if you don’t have a bus to catch, it doesn’t matter if it’s free. Until everyone in the west has high-quality public transport within walking distance the Premier’s “real cost-of-living help” for families is still some way off”, said Dr John Stone, Honorary Senior Fellow in Transport Planning at the University of Melbourne.
“This budget takes some useful steps to implementing the grid network envisioned in the 2021 Bus Reform Plan. Some estates, where residents have been campaigning hard, will get long-awaited new services. But, most households in the growing outer West will still be stuck with infrequent or non-existent public transport. This means owning multiple cars and more driving to work, school, shops and essential services, and escalating living costs”, he said.
“We’re very happy to have this new bus announced. It will make a huge difference for us. Whenever it comes onboard, it will mean my children have more independence and can get to see their friends or go to after school activities when I can’t drive.” Said Mt Atkinson resident, bus advocate and mother of two Pawan Kaur.
Even last month, Minister Gabrielle Williams told industry insiders that “the time for bus in Victoria is now”. She identified that what we need is direct and frequent services so that people can use buses more often and get to their destinations quicker.
“The budget remains focussed on incremental change. Instead, we need a vision for transforming the west’s broken bus services into a fast, frequent and connected grid network of buses operating every 10-15 minutes from early til late every day. It's affordable and could be in place before the 2026 election”, said Elyse Cunningham, Campaign Coordinator for the Sustainable Cities Collective at FoE, which has been working for transformational bus reform with communities in the West since 2022.
“While the state government is sensibly investing $5bn on rail upgrades, we know that buses can get people where they need to go at a fraction of the cost. They could start planning for transformation for as little as $10 million”, she said.
“The people of the West are growing more impatient for a fast, direct and connected bus network in line with research from the University of Melbourne, the Committee for Melbourne and Infrastructure Victoria. This would allow them to move through their neighbourhoods with ease, connecting with friends, family and all the vital services they rely on, and avoiding the huge cost of multiple cars in a household”, she said.
Contact details:
Dr John Stone, Honorary Senior Fellow in Transport Planning at the University of
Melbourne
[email protected]
0405 729 839
Chloe Aldenhoven, Campaigns Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Melbourne
[email protected]
0432328 107