Category: Melbourne and suburbs
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If govt is serious about optimising the Upfield line, they must duplicate
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for the State Government to duplicate the Upfield line during the forthcoming Brunswick level crossing removal project. PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen said that while crossing removal and new modern DDA-compliant stations would be welcome, duplication would bring the biggest benefits for train users. “Given the close proximity…
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Bus proposals welcomed
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed Infrastructure Victoria’s paper on fixing Melbourne’s bus network. PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen said that IV’s recommendations to the government were to be applauded. “For many Melburnians, their only local public transport is buses. But the bus network is poorly funded, poorly planned, and poorly implemented. With indirect…
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Mulgrave is closed on weekends unless you have a car — PTUA calls for 7-day bus services
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is calling on all Mulgrave by-election candidates to champion 7-day bus services on crucial routes within the electorate. Key Mulgrave bus routes 800, 802, 804, 814 and 885 do not operate on Sundays despite providing residents in the electorate a connection to destinations such as Chadstone, Monash University, Dandenong,…
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Dandenong line frequency cuts cause turmoil
The PTUA is alarmed about cuts in the frequency of trains on Melbourne’s busiest rail lines, only days after the completion of works which were supposed to improve services. Having endured the closure of the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines for almost a month to allow the installation of new rail equipment, passengers have had their…
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COVID-19 smashes the life from cities, which is why we must smash COVID-19
by Tony Morton As COVID-19’s second waves wash over our technologically advanced civilisation, so follows the commentary on what this pandemic means for cities and for daily life in the future. Public transport sits at the heart of the discourse, and for good reason. In normal times, public transport sustains the life of the world’s…
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PTUA concerned on curfew cuts
Trams and trains on a Saturday timetable every day would be a far better outcome for passengers compared to the situation we have now.
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PTUA welcomes additional services
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has applauded the additional train and tram services announced on Friday by the Victorian Government. “These changes are very welcome”, said PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen. “Train service frequencies drop off outside peak hours, resulting in long wait times and – under normal circumstances – crowding. “We have been concerned…
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Transport for Everyone: Post COVID-19 Recovery – New vision for buses
(Media release from Transport For Everyone) Key transport professionals have jointly written to the Victorian Premier urging the Government’s Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce to focus on upgrading bus services and active transport through a 5-point plan to improve mobility for Melbourne and build jobs as part of recovery from COVID-19. The 5-point plan seeks a…
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Planning confusion sells Melbourne’s west, air travellers short
Statement by the Public Transport Users Association The Public Transport Users Association is concerned at recent commentary on new rail developments in Melbourne’s west, specifically the promised rail link to Melbourne Airport, and the implied pressure to rush into major decisions in the absence of a comprehensive plan for public transport development. At a high…
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PTUA opposed to expansion of the Free Tram Zone
PTUA does not support the Free Tram Zone, due to the problems it causes, including crowding, and the lack of benefits it provides to paying public transport users. We also do not support the Zone being extended. Data indicates the Free Tram Zone has increased tram usage at the expense of “active” modes (walking and…
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Enough is enough: Time for Tram Cams to stop dangerous motorists
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for tram cams, and stronger enforcement of road rules to improve tram passenger safety. Australian road rules state that motorists are required to stop when trams stop, to allow passengers to board and alight safely.[1] “This is a rule often broken, with potentially fatal results”, said PTUA…
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Melbourne transport still shaped by 50 year old plan – time for a rethink
December 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan [1]: a radical exercise that sought to reshape Melbourne at vast expense, from a ‘garden city’ with well-used public transport, to a car-dominated sprawling ‘doughnut city’ based on a Los Angeles-style grid of freeways. PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen said that while other transport…
