Melbourne-based community group Better Buses has revealed it is planning a protest blockage action at Williams Landing train station on Monday October 14 to draw attention to the lack of reliable, frequent and accessible buses and public transport in the area.
Better Buses says community members in the Wyndham area have been forced to escalate the Better Buses campaign with the peak hour train station protest, to be held at 8AM on Monday.
“We have been actively working with multiple community stakeholders and resident groups to call for better bus coverage across Wyndham and the western suburbs for more than seven years now,” Point Cook Action Group member Senthill Sundaram says.
“Despite countless campaigns, actions, petitions and forums, we are still not seeing any leadership from Tim Pallas or any other local MPs when it comes to fixing our broken bus network.”
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The community says that they now have no choice but to escalate their tactics by holding the protest during peak hour at one of the west’s busiest train stations. At least 20 community members are expected to attend and will be joined by members of the Sustainable Cities collective, as well as Western Metropolitan representative David Ettershank.
“We 100 per cent stand with the community who have planned this action to create awareness and advocate for Better Buses for the West. We know that decisions about the future of mobility and equity in our city are being made now, and we want to be sure that the demands of the west are heard,” Better Buses campaign coordinator at Friends of the Earth Elyse Cunningham says.
“The community is very frustrated with the government’s lack of action. This budget cycle is an opportunity for Labor to prove that they care about their constituents in the vibrant and diverse west, and that they truly uphold the values of equity, fairness and opportunity.”
The group will be gathered by the stairs at the entry to Williams Landing train station, carrying signs, flyers and some big cardboard props. The action is expected to go for one hour until 9AM.
The group says its aim is to not completely block people from accessing public transport but to draw attention to the issue, and that it expects the commuters passing by to be supportive of its cause.
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