Archive for December 28th, 2006

The Age: New year’s warning for night riders

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 28th of December, 2006

Melbourne’s public transport arrangements have once again come under the spotlight as New Year celebrations approach. The Age has reported on the arrangements for New Years Eve:

While the State Government is taking the proactive step of providing all-night train services and free public transport after 3pm, it has failed to provide services for the two-thirds of Melbourne that resides beyond the rail network.

PTUA spokesman Alex Makin said the Government should match the extra train services being provided into and out of the city with bus services.

“There needs to be extra bus services, particularly to parts of Melbourne that lack rail access,” Mr Makin said.

“It’s great for people that live next door to a train line, but for people in Doncaster, people in Rowville, there’s a complete absence of any late night services on New Year’s Eve.”

Unfortunately Melbourne’s bus network is once again neglected with the government providing no additional services to take people from their rail station to their homes.

Mr Makin said the PTUA was pleased the Government was providing free and extra train services but said many people did not live within walking distance of train stations.

“Once people are at their rail stations, where do they go from there? It seems like (the government’s) priority is getting people out of the city rather then necessarily getting people to their homes.”

Unfortunately, the State Government has again failed to view Melbourne’s public transport as an integrated network, meaning that parts of Melbourne will have no public transport available to take people home on New Year’s Eve.