Response to ABC 'Victorian transport minister labels buses the "poor cousin" in state's PT network' article published 1/5/25
On Wednesday, the Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams attended the PTAANZ's 'Moving People, Transforming Cities' symposium, where she spoke about the need to invest in the Victorian bus industry.
While this isn't news for the 50,000 residents of Melbourne's west, it is comforting to know that the community's demands and concerns are being heard.
In her speech, Williams correctly identified the main reason for buses being seen as the poor cousin in our public transport network, namely that "people don't feel like bus services meet their needs."
She then outlined the ways in which the government could make buses more appealing. The first thing she mentioned was that they needed to be more direct and frequent, which means some routes may need to be altered.
"We're glad that Williams has publicly acknowledged the tragedy of the bus network. The next step is for the government to step up and allocate funds for reforming the bus network in the upcoming state budget" says Sustainable Cities spokesperson Elyse Cunningham. "The residents of the west cannot be left behind any longer, they also deserve the range of transport options that residents in other areas of Melbourne have."
"Our petition, which was tabled in parliament in November last year, gathered over 3,000 signatures in support of better buses in the West. The people have told the government what they want, and they will as Williams stated, "vote with their feet," said Ms Cunningham.
"The government needs to demonstrate that it is serious about bus reform in the west and that there is substance behind Minister Williams' recent comments. It cannot continue with business as usual by only adding or upgrading individual routes. The next state budget must show a clear commitment to reforming the whole network."
