MEDIA RELEASE: Western Suburbs communities wait for Liberal and Labor response as Victorian Greens announce election commitment to grid-based bus reform across suburban Melbourne
Yesterday the Greens released their Victorian state election platform, promising to spend $270 million to 'progressively reform buses into a fast, frequent grid, across suburban Melbourne, and upgrade local buses in regional Victoria'.
This is the first time any party has committed to grid-based bus network reform in Victoria, and is seen as a huge win for the Better Buses for the West campaign, run by the Sustainable Cities collective at Friends of the Earth Melbourne.
'We're pleased to see the Greens recognise the need for transformational network reform over a piecemeal approach,' says Dr. John Stone, Honorary Senior Fellow in Transport Planning at the University of Melbourne, 'and I believe that transformation should begin with Melbourne's West.'
For 4 years, communities across the Western suburbs have been calling for a fast, frequent and connected grid of buses across the Western suburbs. Buses running every 10 minutes across the grid would enable 1 million people across the west to get to work, school, shops and amenities that were previously inaccessible without a car.
"We need better buses to run in an interconnected grid in order to enable them to run a frequent service, and get from A to B in a reasonable amount of time" says Elyse Cunningham, Better Buses Community Campaigner.
"We are thrilled to see the Greens taking the community's demands seriously. We hope that the west will be prioritised and that this is just the start of many funding packages for bus reform, so that fast, frequent, and connected bus grids can service all of Melbourne" says Ms Cunningham.
"Now it's time that the Liberal party and Labor build on the ambition of this policy, and announce fully funded proposals for better buses for the West. Buses are the affordable and easy solution to getting people in our suburbs moving. In a cost of living crisis, we can't afford not to do major bus reform" says Cunningham.
Prisha Nadar, a university student from Tarneit, says high-frequency, interconnected buses would be a game-changer. "This close to the city, I shouldn't have to rely on my parents to drive me around. Too many people in the west have to rely on a car, or avoid trips completely. A better bus network would make a huge difference to all of us."
As of today, the Community is still waiting for Victorian Labor and Liberal parties to make any public election commitments to grid-based bus reform.
