With the Federal election only days away, Melton City Council is urging the major parties contesting the election to listen to the voices of the community and commit now to investment in transport infrastructure.
More than half of City of Melton residents do not have access to public transport within a 10-minute walk. Train station car parks are over capacity by 7.30am and trains are already reaching capacity in peak periods.
Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi said residents of the City of Melton have shared their stories with Council about their daily commutes which involve irregular and crowded public transport, poor connections, and congested and unsafe roads.
"Many are tired and frustrated just trying to complete simple daily tasks such as going to work, school or shopping. It's taking quality time away from being with family and friends or enjoying recreation."
As part of the Let's Get the City of Melton Moving campaign, Council has been asking for urgent investment in major roads and electrification of the Melton rail line as well as three new stations at Mt Atkinson, Thornhill Park and Calder Park.
While commitments have been made by both major parties to upgrade the Western Highway, and construct a new interchange at Calder Park Drive, there's still a lot more investment needed.
These residents share their stories and tell us why this investment is needed:
Dakshi, Truganina
Dakshi travels by train to work and after dropping her children at school, she makes the frustrating journey through heavy traffic to Rockbank Station. When she arrives at the station, the car park is already full. By the time she finds parking in a side street, she often misses her train and has to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Her commute to work can range from 1.5 to 2 hours, when it should only be 45 minutes.
When her husband is home, Dakshi gets him to drive her to the station instead. Even with this arrangement, the 4km drive to the station can take up to 40 minutes. In the evenings, if she misses the bus home, which happens often due to train delays, she needs to wait an hour for the next bus or pay to catch an Uber home.
"Rockbank Station is not sufficient for the population in the area," she said. "It would really save me and my family time and be a lot safer if there was a new station in Mt Atkinson and the Melton line is electrified so we can have more frequent trains."
Francis, Melton
Francis is 16 years old and regularly catches the train from Melton to the city to meet her friends who live in other areas. She said it can often take a long time as she travels on the weekend, and the trains are not frequent.
The connecting bus to Melton Station is not reliable and often doesn't make it in time to the station, so she can be waiting up to an hour for the next train. She doesn't feel safe waiting at the train station for that long and when the train comes it's often overcrowded and difficult to get a seat.
Francis would like to see electrification of the Melton rail line so she can access more frequent and direct services. She'd also like to see more reliable transport connection to the station.
Darren, Hillside
Darren regularly travels from Watergardens Station and finds there is a significant shortage of parking spaces, particularly after 7 am. Commuters are forced to resort to street parking, where they risk fines due to strict time limits. Many times, he has had to seek parking at stations further away, such as Keilor Plains or St Albans, which adds considerable time and stress to his daily commute.
"A new train station at Calder Park, which would be within walking distance of homes, makes perfect sense for local residents and commuters," he said. "It would alleviate the pressure on nearby stations with regards to parking and congestion, offer a more sustainable solution by promoting public transport use and reducing car dependence."
