DESPITE the recent reduction of ticket fares to parity with metropolitan public transport prices, the State Opposition has criticised the government’s running of regional transport, emphasising the scarcity of services such as the Hamilton to Warrnambool bus service.
Western Victoria MP, Joe McCracken, recently questioned the transport minister in Parliament about the bus connection from Hamilton to South-West TAFE, and said the Southern Grampians Shire Council and locals wanted a better service.
“I want to raise the concerns of Hamilton locals relating to the poor connectivity that young people and their families face,” Mr McCracken said.
“I recently visited Hamilton and had a discussion with concerned locals and council. Access to TAFE is one of the significant problems faced locally, especially for young people and their families.
“And we know how the State Government loves to promote free a.k.a. taxpayer subsidised TAFE.
“The closest TAFE is South-West TAFE in Warrnambool. Now there is just one bus service a day between Hamilton and Warrnambool Monday to Thursday, and just two on Friday. These options do not provide a lot of flexibility.”
The second Friday service actually takes a different route to the normal service, diverting through Mortlake and Terang and taking an extra 40 minutes, making it a 130-minute journey.
“If you don’t take a bus, you can pay a few hundred dollars for a taxi, or a parent has to drive an approximately three hour round trip,” Mr McCracken said.
“Need I remind the State Government that Hamilton suffers from low tertiary education attainment levels. It’s like Daniel Andrews just doesn’t care.
“So my question is this: Will the government commit to review public transport timetables, with a view to improve accessibility for young people in Hamilton?”
During the week the government promoted the longest possible V/Line trip in Victoria with the cheaper fares, with two radio hosts travelling almost 18 hours on Wednesday evening from Mildura to Mallacoota with five different services (two by train), transferring at Ballarat, Melbourne, Bairnsdale and Genoa.
Premier, Daniel Andrews called Gabi James and Dan Robinson “more than exceptional” and added “for today they can be official V/Line ambassadors”.
The trip was successful, covering over 1000 kilometres, costing just $9.20 each and receiving social media attention, but the Opposition said “PR and spin” were a distraction from bigger concerns.
Public transport shadow minister, Richard Riordan, said cuts and cancellations were typically what rural commuters faced and there were “deep-seated issues within the regional rail network”.
“V/Line services right across the state continue to face massive disruptions and delays, and passengers are abandoning their trips due to overcrowded carriages and significant delays,” he said.
“Those fortunate enough to get a seat on V/Line trains, particularly on longer journeys to the South-West Coast, Gippsland and to the border, are still faced with cancelled food services and poor bathroom facilities.
“The Andrews Government’s failure to prioritise important rail connections in regional Victoria is clear, with recent revelations that Geelong Fast Rail will be shelved indefinitely due to budget incompetence.”
Mr Riordan said the government was just “re-hashing old announcements”.
“What regional Victorians save on public transport fares doesn’t make up for the record cancellations, unprecedented bus replacements and poor facilities on the V/Line network,” he said.
“What is the use of having a cheap ticket when you can’t even get a seat? These issues need to be fixed, not ignored.
“Regional Victorians deserve proper investment in regional rail infrastructure and rolling stock. Not cuts, cancellations and more delays.”
