As part of the Victorian government’s latest budget bus service funding, more frequent, fast and reliable bus services will be introduced to Armstrong Creek, Charlemont and Torquay from June.
A new bus network will allow locals to better access workplaces, education, shops and healthcare.
Victorian public and active transport minister Gabrielle Williams announced the updated bus network, which will allow for the numbers of services in the area to be more than doubled.
“Across Victoria we are delivering a modern and more efficient bus network so that more people choose to take the bus,” Williams says.
“The new bus network will provide more bus services, more often, to both existing and new growth areas in Torquay, Charlemont and Armstrong Creek – giving locals and visitors more reasons to leave the car at home.”
The updated services will provide improved connections to growth areas in locations such as Torquay Beach, Belmont High Street, Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre and Deakin University as well as Geelong and Marshall stations and the Portarlington Ferry.
The extra 500 weekly bus services will include four buses an hour along the Surf Coast Highway, with new services being added between Geelong and Torquay, Marshall Stations and Jan Juc and Marshall Station and Torquay.
Williams says the new bus services will strengthen links between Torquay, Armstrong Creek and Geelong, with a regular and direct service being added to Geelong’s Moorabool Street and evening and weekend hours included.
The design of the new network follows extensive community consultation and accompanies 54 new accessible bus stops that have been installed to provide better access for users in wheelchairs and with mobility aids.
Alongside these changes, the local Bellarine Secondary College and St Ignatius College schools, alongside Oberon High School, will receive more services.
Since the Victorian government first added to the state’s bus network through its bus plan in July 2021, Williams says more than 20,000 bus services have been added, including thousands across regional Victoria.