Infrastructure Victoria is urging the Victorian government to increase regional bus and coach services to improve access to education, healthcare and jobs. The recommendation is part of new advice highlighting the growing difficulty people in regional centres and smaller towns face when trying to access essential services.
The report says many regional Victorians travel long distances for work or study and often rely on cars because local public transport does not meet demand. It notes that many people cannot drive or afford a vehicle and that these groups face some of the biggest barriers to independent travel. Young people, older residents and people with disability are among the most affected.
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Modelling by Infrastructure Victoria shows that services often do not reach major destinations such as TAFEs, universities, hospitals and employment precincts. In some cases, students report that even when public transport exists, timetables force them to leave classes early or wait hours for a return service.
The advisory body says better public transport links would support education participation, help fill labour shortages and improve mobility for people who depend on the network. It also notes that shifting trips from private cars to public transport can reduce emissions and improve road safety.
The report recommends increasing services in Shepparton, Wodonga, Mildura, Wangaratta, Horsham, Bairnsdale, Warragul and Drouin. These locations act as service hubs for their regions but have infrequent or indirect bus routes that do not align well with train or coach timetables. The analysis shows that 30-minute daytime services in larger centres could add 250 new trips a day, while hourly services in smaller towns would add around 30.
The report highlights several local issues – some new suburbs in Shepparton and Wodonga have no bus services. Warragul workers cannot use public transport to reach Pakenham or Dandenong after completing a full workday because services do not connect at the correct times. In Mildura, community feedback indicates a need for weekday services from 7am to 9pm and later services on Friday and Saturday nights.
Infrastructure Victoria also recommends improving V/Line coach services, particularly in inland towns without rail access. Current services often arrive too late for morning classes or appointments and may leave only minutes after arrival, giving passengers little time to complete their trip. Some routes provide only a single return trip each day.
The report identifies several routes as priorities for improvement. It recommends increasing services between Bendigo and Wangaratta, providing more frequent connections between Geelong and Bendigo via Ballarat and adding more trips between Wodonga and Kerang. The advisory body suggests running six services a day between Geelong and Bendigo and three services a day on the other two routes.
The advice also encourages the government to coordinate bus timetables with train timetables and to add new ticket readers to make transfers easier. The estimated cost is between $100 million and $150 million over five years, with operating costs of $25 million to $45 million annually once services are underway.
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