Friends of the Earth yesterday rallied on Victorian parliament to provide a reshaped bus plan in the state that includes better route planning for western suburbs and smart electric bus services
Lobby group Friends of the Earth has held a rally on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House yesterday to call for better bus services in western suburbs.
The rally comes after the state government last week released its Better Bus Plan and announced it would be changing its Melbourne bus contract system in a clear focus towards the uptake of electric buses in the state.
On Monday, Friends of the Earth responded, saying electric buses won’t help fix bus network issues in fast-growing western suburbs.
Yesterday, the group convened on Parliament House, rallying with signs ad slogans calling for better buses in the west.
“We need buses that people can actually use and rely upon,” a Friends of the Earth speaker said through a megaphone.
“This can be easily done. We want better buses for the west because the west deserves the best.”
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As the rally’s size grew, more speakers called on the Victorian government to review its bus plan and provide updated networks in western regions.
“The new Victorian bus plan will be great for the uptake of electric buses, but what’s the point of having electric buses that have no one on them?” the same speaker said.
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“We need better bus services out west, it’s as simple as that.”
Friends of the Earth says with the Victorian government expected to slash public transport funding, key bus reform is expected to be cut.
The group, through its Better Buses campaign, says there’s opportunity to invest in a transformation of the bus network that requires less funding and time than other major projects while ensuring that Melbourne’s west and other outer suburbs experience improved access.
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Friends of the Earth Sustainable Cities community organiser Elyse Cunningham says the key message is to see route reform in this term of government to ensure bus services are reliable in the west.
“We want to see the bus routes transformed from the long, convoluted lines to a simple grid with buses running in straight lines down main roads, allowing for 10-minute frequencies,” Cunningham told ABC.
“We also want the electrification of the entire fleet to help reduce emissions, but it’s one piece of the puzzle.
“Electric buses are great, but there is no point in electrifying the bus network if they don’t fix the routes, as people still won’t use them.
“It’s forced car dependency that’s driving up transport emissions, so investing in buses that are fast, frequent and well-connected is crucial if the government wants to meet their emissions reduction targets.”