alp continue the bus mantra for the east

Earlier this week I attended the Melbourne Transport Forum Public Transport Candidate’s forum in Box Hill. Brian Tee, ALP Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport, Damian Magner, Greens Candidate for Eastern Metropolitan and Robert Clark, Liberal member for Box Hill spoke at the forum.

As chairperson of the Eastern Transport Coalition I asked the panel when the East of Melbourne would get a detailed transport plan? The Victorian Transport Plan doesn’t include any benefits for the one million people of the East of Melbourne and the reason it doesn’t is because Sir Rod Eddington’s study area never included East of Warrigal Road.

I asked when the people of the East could expect to get the detailed planning, analysis and community consultation to develop a comprehensive transport plan it deserved.

Buses are part of the answer in solving the East's public transport woes, but we need a more detailed look at all the options. Already the smartbuses are bursting at the seams with patronage.








It was disappointing to hear the ALP continue its mantra of buses are the answer for the East. Brian Tee answered by talking about the recent bus service reviews as the East’s comprehensive transport planning.

The bus reviews were in no way a comprehensive transport planning process, they didn’t consider other modes of transport such as rail, trams and cycling. They weren’t part of the equation. The people of the East want a detailed plan, not just an 18 stage bus service review where there is no clarity about when any improvements will be delivered.

On the night the Victorian Greens committed to a feasibility study for Rowville and Doncaster rail, in an earlier meeting I had with the Shadow Spokesperson for Public Transport, Terry Mulder, he committed the Victorian Liberals to a feasibility study for Rowville rail.