Bus Review - Have your say!
Submitted by President on Sat, 25/10/2008 - 09:00.
One way that you can have a say on how you would like the service improved is via the state governments current review of the bus services. The Yarra Ranges Bus Service Review is seeking feedback on a number of the local bus routes.
The full list is available here. And details about the bus routes can be found here.
Some of the improvements that I have heard the community wants are:
Much more frequent bus times - this will allow people to be able to depend on the bus service to get around, at the moment if you miss a bus or it arrives outside of the scheduled time, you could be waiting for some time for the next one and arrive much later than you had planned at your destination.
Bus services that run on Sundays and in the evenings - this provides an option for people to travel for social purposes in the evenings or who work late and also to allow for those who work on the weekend, it could also provide alternative transport option for people visiting for tourism purposes.
A really late night service on Friday and Saturday nights so that people can attend entertainment venues and travel home safely afterwards.
More flexible options - such as the expanding the coverage of tele-bus services in the shire.
New bus routes - it is crazy that there isn't a bus between Monbulk and Emerald, and there need to be better connections across the Yarra Valley.
Connecting to trains - Making sure
that the buses that connect with trains by actually waiting for the connecting train to arrive and visa versa.
A good public transport service is essential. We are facing an era where fuel prices will increase. And our communities are almost completely dependant on the private car for transportation. Not all of us will be able to afford a more fuel efficient vehicle for some time - so alternative options are important.
Here is a map of the areas of Melbourne that are vulnerable to high fuel prices. Whilst it doesn't cover a lot of the Yarra Ranges. It does show that much of the Dandenongs are classified as at a moderate to high level of vulnerability and this includes Monbulk which is classified as high.
We have an ageing population some of whose ability to travel independently is declining. And the younger members of our communities need a much better service to allow them to get around without having to always rely on family or friends.
I encourage you to let the state government know what you want by making a submission.
Here's an letter that appeared in the Ranges Trader Mail (8 April 2008) that perfectly captures the reality of living with an inadequate bus service.
Some of the improvements that I have heard the community wants are:Much more frequent bus times - this will allow people to be able to depend on the bus service to get around, at the moment if you miss a bus or it arrives outside of the scheduled time, you could be waiting for some time for the next one and arrive much later than you had planned at your destination.
Bus services that run on Sundays and in the evenings - this provides an option for people to travel for social purposes in the evenings or who work late and also to allow for those who work on the weekend, it could also provide alternative transport option for people visiting for tourism purposes.
A really late night service on Friday and Saturday nights so that people can attend entertainment venues and travel home safely afterwards.
More flexible options - such as the expanding the coverage of tele-bus services in the shire.
New bus routes - it is crazy that there isn't a bus between Monbulk and Emerald, and there need to be better connections across the Yarra Valley.
Connecting to trains - Making sure
that the buses that connect with trains by actually waiting for the connecting train to arrive and visa versa.
A good public transport service is essential. We are facing an era where fuel prices will increase. And our communities are almost completely dependant on the private car for transportation. Not all of us will be able to afford a more fuel efficient vehicle for some time - so alternative options are important.
Here is a map of the areas of Melbourne that are vulnerable to high fuel prices. Whilst it doesn't cover a lot of the Yarra Ranges. It does show that much of the Dandenongs are classified as at a moderate to high level of vulnerability and this includes Monbulk which is classified as high.We have an ageing population some of whose ability to travel independently is declining. And the younger members of our communities need a much better service to allow them to get around without having to always rely on family or friends.
I encourage you to let the state government know what you want by making a submission.
Here's an letter that appeared in the Ranges Trader Mail (8 April 2008) that perfectly captures the reality of living with an inadequate bus service.
Let's imagine you [living in Monbulk] have a friend who lives in Belgrave and relies on the bus, as you do also. She has come to visit and have dinner. Obviously 6:10pm [the last bus back to Belgrave] is far too early to leave so you hurry with dinner, have a short yet nice time and she is on the 7:50pm Monbulk to Lilydale bus. She arrives in Lilydale at 8:25pm. She has to wait until the train leaves at 8:48pm. The train arrives in Ringwood at 9:04pm. Your friend's lovely evening is a now long gone memory as she has already waited on the Lilydale station for 23 minutes and faces the long wait at Ringwood for the Belgrave train for another 22 minutes; that is a total of 45 minutes in the dark. She arrives seven kilometres from where she began her trip two hours later at 9:50pm. She could have walked it in half the time, but without footpaths she would have to walk along the dark, dangerous and narrow Monbulk road. More interesting is the fact that this 7:50pm bus set out for its final nightly journey from Belgrave to Monbulk where the commuters have to depart the bus and alight another to Lilydale. Why? Believe or not the bus returns [to Belgrave] to service another route, without taking passengers. Sorry people, I know I will be in Belgrave in 20 minutes but you can catch the Lilydale train and be in Belgrave in two hours. At least that would not happen on a weekend, there is no Lilydale service. And we still have absolutely no bus service on a Sunday or public holidays.
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