Geelong’s two bus operators could be stretched to the limit later this month when cycling fans circle on the UCI world championship
September 13, 2010
Geelong will be ‘bus and cycling central’ later this month when the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) world championship gets underway and 2700 extra bus services are added to carry spectators.
Victoria’s Transport Minister Martin Pakula says local operators McHarry’s Buslines and Benders Busways will boost services by 66 per cent to almost 7000 trips during the five-day event from 29 September to 3 October.
“The bus companies are adding an extra 1500 services from the Tuesday to the Friday and more than 1200 services on the weekend to cater for the tens of thousands of visitors to Geelong,” Pakula says.
The extra buses will also help minimise the expected disruptions to regular bus services around Geelong during the five-day event.
“With a significant amount of road closures, buses will operate on revised routes for the duration of the event,” Pakula says.
The Minister’s office says McHarry’s and Benders will schedule low-floor buses where possible for passengers requiring wheel chair access.
Pakula says event organisers expect the course will be lined with up to 300,000 spectators across the five days of competition, including 150,000 on the Sunday.
“Competitors will race on a 16-kilometre fully closed road circuit throughout the central and inner south-west areas of Geelong,” he says.
“Commuters should allow extra time for their journey, especially if they wish to connect to a train, because the road network will be busier than usual.”
During the event there will be two temporary bus interchanges operating in central Geelong – one at Little Malop Street West and the other at Little Malop Street East.
An extended timetable and revised route maps are now on the Viclink website.