The Friends of the Earth is asking the Victorian government to release its better bus plans for a more connected network following the Coalition’s promise
The Friends of the Earth says the Victorian Coalition’s promise on buses is welcomed, but more detail is needed.
The recent promise by the Victorian Coalition of a $160 million, four-year package to improve bus services across Victoria, including Melbourne’s west, is welcome news for families that desperately need better public transport.
But the Friends of the Earth says much more detail is needed to see if this is truly a start to rebuild the slow and convoluted suburban bus routes into a 21st century network.
“We call on all parties to make clear commitments to take bold action to deliver the fast, frequent and connected bus services that will get more people out of their cars,” Friends of the Earth sustainable cities community organiser Elyse Cunningham says.
“It is time to reimagine Melbourne’s broken bus system as a simple grid network of clean electric buses that connects people to vital services and social support and gets them to work on time on weekdays and on weekends.
“We know that the ALP has hinted at big changes in its Bus Reform Plan. This is not enough. We need firm commitments, and we are calling on them to commit to getting a modern bus network in place in the west in the next term of government.”
While the group says it’s good that one of the major parties has recognised the vital importance of public transport in the western suburbs, it says what Melbourne’s west truly needs is a transformation of the entire network to get communities out of their cars and onto public transport.
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Cunningham says incremental changes to Victoria’s existing network will not shift people’s behaviour, as the bus network maintains its reputation for being unreliable when it still runs along long, convoluted lines.
“What we need is transformational change. A switch to 100 per cent electric buses on a simple grid with 10 minute frequencies is the only thing that will get people out of their cars and onto public transport, and in turn reduce emissions and car traffic congestion simultaneously,” she says.
With the state government’s commitment to reduce emissions by 75 per cent to 80 per cent (on 2005 levels) by 2035, Cunningham says whoever wins at the November election will need to set meaningful emissions reduction targets for all sectors, including transport, in early 2023.
“Unfortunately no one from the ALP was able to attend any of the three candidates forums held over the past month by Friends of the Earth Melbourne’s Sustainable Cities collective. But now there is a great opportunity for them to make the announcement that the West is waiting for and tell us how they plan to transform the bus network. Even the Liberals are willing to commit funding to Victoria’s bus network, so we really need to hear what Labor has planned,” Cunningham says.
“Will Labor commit to 100 per cent electric buses by 2030? Will they transform the network to a fast, frequent and connected grid that will enhance communities’ access to local services, each other, and essential services like jobs, education and healthcare? We hope to hear soon whether the ALP will be making some solid commitments to funding the bus network ahead of this year’s election on November 26.”