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Author: PTUA

  • PT Problem of the Day: Regional station #Myki readers not in use years after installation, heavily vandalised

    Continual delays to Myki have led to many regional stations having equipment for the new ticket system which is still not in use, some years after it was installed. This reader at the unstaffed Trafalgar station is looking very much the worse for wear. Who knows how much taxpayer’s money has been wasted following vandalism…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Poor weekend services don’t help traffic congestion

    Punt Road on the weekend — it’s not surprising there are so many cars on the road. The Punt Road 246 bus runs every 20 minutes on Sundays, which is better than most other buses, but not great if you’re making a connection from other services. More significantly, many of the suburbs these cars are…

  • Public left behind on Chadstone transport planning

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the Baillieu Government to ensure greater transparency in transport planning for the proposed Chadstone shopping centre expansion. PTUA outer east convenor Jeremy Lunn said public participation must be a key component of the planning process, but the government and the developer seem to be operating behind…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Safety zones – relic of a bygone age; cramped, not accessible, no shelter

    They’re called “safety” zones, but for passengers packed into a narrow strip of bitumen between the traffic and the trams, they can seem anything but. While some such tram stops have been replaced by platform stops, which provide seating, shelter and accessibility for wheelchair users, many safety zones remain, including at busy CBD stops such…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Docklands bus stops

    Much has been spent on providing many tram platform stops around Docklands, with shelters, realtime displays, and level access — nothing less than tram users deserve. But the 220 bus, which provides a frequent seven-day-a-week link from Docklands to Footscray, has been neglected. All bus users get is a bus stop sign. No shelter, no…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Inadequate shelter at the renovated North Melbourne station

    One of the basic requirements for a shelter is that it should provide shelter. This clearly isn’t the case at North Melbourne following the $35 million upgrade completed in 2010. Many have noted the escalators are somewhat open to the weather, but this picture shows that even the platform shelters are inadequate; for some reason…

  • Chadstone interchange not a full solution

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has warned that a modified bus interchange will not be enough to cater for expansion of the Chadstone shopping centre, as it would be only a partial solution. It says bus services themselves need significant upgrades, along with the extension of train and tram services into the centre. “It’s…

  • Point Nepean visitors cheated with poor public transport

    Visitors to the Portsea polo event at Point Nepean National Park last Saturday were cheated by the poor quality and over-priced public transport service offered, according to the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA). PTUA spokesman Jeremy Lunn said people wanting to travel by bus to the polo event from Sorrento to Point Nepean National Park…

  • PT Problem of the Day: #MetroTrains Twitter feed no longer timely or accurate

    As noted in The Age recently, Metro has changed its Twitter feed, with minor (less than fifteen minutes) disruptions no longer posted, and instead more interaction with other Twitter users. But it appears this has also led to problems with major disruption information. Yesterday was a prime example: there was a suspension of services on…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Is Metro’s “bringing stations to life” programme a flop?

    “Bringing Stations to Life will turn train stations into hubs of community activity.” — Metro The theory of Metro’s “Bringing Stations To Life” programme makes sense: encourage development around stations, to help provide passengers with services nearby, boost safety through “passive surveillance” (a place busy with people is safer than one that’s empty) and grow…

  • Summer buses insufficient and poorly promoted on Southern Peninsula

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has slammed the State Government for failing to provide sufficient bus services over the summer holiday period on route 788 between Frankston and Portsea. It has further accused the government of poorly advertising service amendments, nor promoting the service as an alternative to driving, leading to increased road congestion…

  • PT Problem of the Day: Bus zone hours not updated to reflect new bus timetables

    We’ve highlighted before the lack of planning coordination in public transport — the myriad of organisations involved, and the problems that ensue when they don’t talk to each other. So what’s the problem this time? The problem is that the bus zone for this bus stop matches the hours the bus used to run. This…