This weekend, residents of Melbourne’s outer western suburbs are set to come together, all for the purpose of calling for better buses.
This Sunday October 5, residents of Melbourne’s Outer West will gather for a family fun day with an important message: the urgent need for better bus services. Bus Fest will run from 10am to 1pm at the Wedge Street Piazza in the heart of Werribee.
Featuring the exciting sounds of the Werribee Concert Band, as well as fun children’s activities and a community art project for adults, this event is expected to draw a crowd.
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More importantly, Bus Fest will be an opportunity for residents to discuss their experiences with a broken bus system, often fraught with long wait times, indirect routes and no-show buses. They can send postcards to their State MPs, sign up for more information, or simply contribute their stories to be shared with elected officials.
Key asks of the Better Buses campaign include:
- Electric buses, running every 10-15 minutes from 6am to midnight, 7 days a week across the west.
- Indirect bus routes straightened into an efficient grid system to connect locals in critical areas.
“With long wait times and poor connections, buses in the West are simply unworkable for most residents, and many of us don’t have any other public transport options,” Bus Fest organiser Grace Eyre says.
“But, we know we can actually have fast, frequent, and connected buses. The research has been done: a 21st century bus system in the western suburbs is possible, but we need to come together to tell the government to make it a priority. That’s what Bus Fest is all about.”
The Better Buses campaign is led by local advocates and supported by the Sustainable Cities Collective.
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