Public Transport
Last night was the committee meeting for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), so it seems appropriate to talk about public transport. Although the meetings are held every month, I’ve only just started going regularly again, as well as occasionally dropping in at the office to clear the mail, answering machine, etc. There are some great people involved with the PTUA, working towards avoiding any further detriment to public transport.
Unfortunately these days, more energy is expended on campaigning against destruction than seeking improvements. Certainly the State Government is doing more damage than they are making things better. This is especially true with all the spin we get from Bracks & Co how public transport is their highest priority despite the fact that they are doing nothing for it, while continuing to spend millions on roads. The greatest example of damage they’ve done recently is Melbourne Central. Just try going through that place in peak hour. It is absolutely chaos getting from the concourse level to platforms 3&4 unless you want to take a long detour to the direct escalators. Of course, it wouldn’t be a detour at all if the old entrance arrangements still existed.
But it doesn’t stop there, the government now has plans to close three out of nine tram stops in Collins St and overall 20% of stops across Melbourne. This has been met with strong opposition from traders and the PTUA. Earlier this week a funeral was held to better facilitate mourning. You may have seen it on TV. Though of the current state of affairs continues, with more damage being done than improvement, we’re going to need many more funerals for all the mourning there is!
The other obstacle you encounter when pushing for better public transport is many many myths. Over the years this has accumulated to quite a sizeable number. Once again the PTUA has got to it, collected them in one great big list and debunked them all, one-by-one. You can see the results at:
http://www.ptua.org.au/myths/
May 27th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
You forgot to mention the work of the Outer East Branch
May 27th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
Oh yeah, whoops! The Outer East Branch is also great. Never has public transport been such a prominent issue in the outer east media until Alex came along. I’ve been to most meetings for the branch.
May 27th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
Jeremy is particularly interested in the Box Hill Transit City Project, which claims to among its aims to encourage public transport usage (see www.dse.vic.gov.au/transitcities).
How can they do that however without addressing the lack of services and inadequate facilities at Box Hill?
May 27th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
There is a bus down my road that goes to Doncaster Shoppingtown. That’s all the public transport I have direct access to. No trains or trams in Bulleen, and pitiful bus services. Ain’t that just fab?
June 1st, 2005 at 3:33 pm
Ben,
Manningham has been particularly neglected which is why the Outer East Branch is conducting a campaign for the Doncaster Road tram (route 48) to be extended from North Balwyn to Shoppingtown.
Not only would this finally provide Manningham with a tram service but it would also ensure that bus routes could be better structured to provide more frequent and later running services.
Alex