The Public Transport Users Association has commended Melbourne’s new train operator, Metro Trains Melbourne, for its support of the PTUA’s ‘Every 10 Minutes to Everywhere’ campaign.
In a statement to The Age on 16 January, Metro Trains chief executive Andrew Lezala referred to the PTUA’s campaign to run trains, trams and buses every 10 minutes, and said “this was the correct approach”. “I like the tram network because the frequency is such that you do not need to understand the timetable.” The train network needed that frequency, he said.
PTUA President Daniel Bowen urged the State Government to throw its own weight behind the campaign. “The government has been so conditioned to public transport failure that in all the years we said Melbourne needs this kind of approach, they had no response other than to stonewall and ridicule. Now there is the will to transform the system and the government has to get behind that,” he said.
A Senate inquiry last year into public transport management found that an independent planning authority, such as operates in Perth and in other cities around the world, had the greatest potential for fixing the system. “This kind of body would work with public and private operators to simplify timetables and get the trains, trams and buses working together to provide a seamless network for all Melburnians: morning, noon and night,” Mr Bowen said.