Category: Regional

  • PTUA Advances Liveable Transport Plan Alternative

    Melbourne’s train services would double, buses would run every 10 minutes on every arterial road, and more country rail lines would be restored. And this would only cost 40% of the government’s $38 billion transport plan, according to a new report released today by the PTUA. The Connecting to the Future report is billed as…

  • Passengers give thumbs-down to failed Myki

    The Public Transport Users Association has flagged the first week of operation of Myki on Geelong’s buses as a failure, following feedback from Geelong commuters. PTUA President Daniel Bowen said the association’s Geelong Branch had closely watched the introduction of the multi-million dollar Myki ticket system, and passengers had given it a big thumbs down.…

  • Bus Users Welcome Council’s Tick for Moorabool Street

    The Geelong Branch of the Public Transport Users Association has congratulated the council on its decision to reinstate a central bus interchange in Moorabool Street. Geelong Branch convenor Paul Westcott said that the decision would make Geelong’s bus system more user-friendly and remove a major obstacle to future upgrades. “It’s very pleasing to see the…

  • Council stalls on bus stops

    The City of Greater Geelong Council has stalled again on approving the location of Geelong’s central bus interchange, blocking $80 million of State Government funding for improvements to the whole bus system. At its meeting on Tuesday night, the Council deferred, for the second time, any decision to approve the recommendation of council officers to…

  • Call for Council Candidates to Come Clean on Central Buses

    The Geelong Branch of the Public Transport Users Association has called on all candidates for the City of Greater Geelong council to declare their support for the return of a bus interchange to Moorabool Street. Branch convenor Paul Westcott said Geelong voters had a right to know if their councillors were going to stand in…

  • Call for services “every 10 minutes to everywhere”

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the government to take the next big step in upgrading public transport services. In launching their “Every 10 minutes to everywhere” plan at a climate change and transport forum at Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday, PTUA president Daniel Bowen noted the urgency for action on climate…

  • Albury Rail Standardisation Welcomed

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed today’s announcement that the broad gauge rail line from Seymour to Albury will be standardised and upgraded under a deal between the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, but criticised the rail “bypass” plan that will see Wodonga’s station moved.

  • Tram-like buses to solve transport woes

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is calling on Geelong councillors to support a bid to the State Government for “tram-like” bus routes in Geelong. The Association has been meeting with councillors to seek support for three high-quality bus routes along Geelong’s major roads, as the first priority for upgrading the whole system.

  • State Government must act on passenger rail shutdown

    Following news that V/Line might abandon passenger rail services from Wangaratta to Albury because of the poor condition of the track, the Public Transport Users Association has urged the Victorian Government to immediately begin negotiations with the federal Government for the conversion of the inadequate broad gauge line to standard gauge. “The Victorian rail network…

  • National commitment to rail network urgently needed

    A national coalition of transport groups has urged the federal government to fund a major rail network upgrade to enable the introduction of high speed passenger services and ensure the viability of regional rail freight services. In a submission ahead of this year’s federal budget [1], the sustainable transport coalition, which includes Victoria’s Public Transport…

  • Minister to review bike ban

    The PTUA is pleased to hear that the Minister for Public Transport, Lynne Kosky, will review the ban on bikes on peak hour trains. 1-Feb-2008: We are advised that in the mean time, no action will be taken against any cyclist with a bicycle on a peak hour train. The PTUA remains opposed to the…

  • Bicycles to be banned from peak hour trains

    V/Line and Connex plan to ban bicycles on peak hour trains from the 1st of January 2008. The V/Line ban will apply to all trains in the peak direction, and we understand that the Connex ban will apply to all trains in the peak direction within zone 1. (Bicycles will be allowed at all times…