Protestors will be taking over Tarneit train station this afternoon, locals frustrated with inadequate public transport options in Melbourne’s west.
Taking place from 5:00pm, state MPs have been invited to attend and support their constituents, with the protest organisers expecting a large crowd to attend.
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Protesters are saying they ‘must take to the streets’ after petitioning their local MPs and receiving no commitments.
“The West needs better buses to address inadequate public transport options, reduce traffic congestion, and ensure equitable access for fast growing communities,” protest organiser and local Tarneit resident Rifai Raheem says.
“We urge the government to action bus reform which was promised and to increase funding, and ensure frequent, reliable, and accessible public transport for the Western suburbs.”
Residents say they are tired of not having access to buses that they can rely on, with commuters often subject to long wait times, safety concerns, slow journeys, and poor connectivity with other public transport services.
“I’m forced to drive to the station and park in the surrounding streets due to the lack of regular buses when coming home, and later once buses stop I have safety concerns as an older woman,” Hoppers Crossing resident Delwyn Ogden says.
“Waiting up to 40 mins for a bus or missing the last bus around 9pm leaving no public transport options to get home.”
The lack of adequate services is leaving residents with no choice but to drive more often, with forced car dependency becoming a huge issue for many.
The excessive costs of car ownership has been placing a huge financial burden on families who are already struggling to pay their rent, or for home ownership, during a cost of living crisis.
Tarneit local resident Saajidh Zizam says door-to-door travel time increases by at least 35 to 50 minutes when he attempts to use buses to get home after work.
“Buses rarely run through my neighborhood, and this inconsistency makes public transport less viable as an option,” Zizam says.
“Unfortunately, this has made me dependent on my wife for drop-offs and pick-ups from the station. This arrangement has become increasingly burdensome for her, as she works full-time and also manages to pick up our children from childcare.”
Momentum for the campaign has grown rapidly as communities become increasingly frustrated with the lack of reliable public transport.
“This protest is the second in a series of coordinated actions that will be happening across the West in the lead up to the next budget, and we hope that local MPs will be turn up to support local residents and urge the Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams MP and the treasurer Tim Pallas MP to ensure that a significant contribution to bus reform is funded in the next state budget,” Better Buses campaign coordinator Elyse Cunningham says.
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