A report from The Age suggests Victorian operators will be under immense strain as the demand for replacement buses skyrockets due to many infrastructure projects
A spate of road infrastructure projects and closed rail lines means the pressure is on Melbourne’s replacement bus services to bear the brunt of traffic nightmares.
The Saturday Age reported that the Victorian government has warned of significant traffic delays for western suburbs citizens from this week until July 9 due to road closures and shut train lines as the West Gate Tunnel project moves along.
These projects include the closure of West Melbourne’s Dynon Road bridge until August 31, with multiple train lines closing due to this work, leaving the responsibility on replacement buses to navigate traffic chaos.
Diverted vehicles, including the buses, will have to move along to Footscray Road, with the Williamstown, Werribee and Sunbury train lines all closing.
In the east, the Frankston line will remain closed until August due to level-crossing removal work, while the Upfield and Craigeburn lines will be closed every night this week.
This eastern suburbs closures supplements recent replacement bus movements, with a Public Transport Users Association spokesman telling The Age that there’s a constant issue of not having enough replacement buses.
“There’s often insufficient information for passengers, not enough staff at stops, a lack of shelter and a lack of priority to get these buses past traffic,” the spokesman told The Age.
The Victorian branch of the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) told The Age that the bus driver shortage is having an impact on these replacement services.
BusVic executive director Chris Lowe told The Age that replacement bus operators were as prepared as they could be for the high demand period.