The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has criticised the inadequate weekend timetable for the 903 bus, stating that its lopsided frequency is resulting in overcrowding and confusion. To rectify the problem it has called for buses every 15 minutes between Mordialloc and Heidelberg.
“Here we have this bizarre arrangement where Saturday buses run at mixed intervals of 15 minutes and half an hour,” said PTUA Outer East Convenor Jeremy Lunn. “So you might have buses at 12:00pm, 12:15pm, 12:30pm, then not another bus until 1:00pm. Then it repeats all over creating long waiting times, confusion and overcrowding on this otherwise successful service.”
Mr Lunn said that it is a hole in the timetable that needs to be fixed.
“We see this as acknowledgement that half hourly buses are not seen as adequate on Saturdays between Box Hill and Mordialloc. So they have thrown in one extra bus per an hour, in the worst possible way. It is not going to alleviate overcrowding and will only lead to chaos and confusion.”
“This is the most inadequate and illogical way to keep three buses an hour running on the route. When it ran as route 700, the buses ran every 15 to 20 minutes on
Saturdays, whereas now there are gaps of up to half an hour. More buses are needed on the route than half hourly, but the weird timing has been a failure.”
“It’s a joke really. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that scheduling buses in such a fashion is next to useless for passengers. We’re amazed that Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky allowed this arrangement to go through without ridiculing it!”
Mr Lunn also called for uniform weekend timetable, operating on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Under this timetable, buses would operate every 15 minutes throughout the day.
“There is no reason to believe that people travel less on Sundays than they do on Saturdays or that they travel less on weekends than weekday off-peak. We’re seeing overcrowding especially at Holmesglen, Chadstone and Oakleigh and growing problems at Box Hill and Doncaster, so clearly a 15 minute service is justified.”
“Furthermore, simply try parking your car at Chadstone, Box Hill or Doncaster on weekends and you will realised that the current bus services are inadequate.”
“I call on Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky to fix this ludicrous mistake by rolling out a uniform 15 minute weekend service. The sooner she can do that the better,” Mr Lunn concluded.