Author: admin
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Letter to The Age: The airport rail that got away
Victorians recall with regret the Allan government’s announcement postponing the Airport Rail project. It was in the same 2024 budget that affirmed a $26 billion price tag for the North East Link, after its $10 billion blowout was revealed in December 2023. It doesn’t take much imagination to conclude the one followed directly from the…
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V/Line owes passengers answers on its lack of backup plans
No public transport service should rely on a single point of failure to function, yet that is exactly the position V/Line found itself in this week, and passengers paid the price. Telstra’s network outage on Wednesday shut down the entire regional train network. With disruptions continuing into Thursday, well after the Telstra network had recovered,…
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Shaping the Future of Geelong’s Bus Network
The PTUA Geelong Branch has made a detailed submission in response to the Department of Transport and Planning’s Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Bannockburn Bus Network Review. We believe Geelong’s current bus network provides a solid foundation and does not require a wholesale route overhaul. Instead, the priority should be a dramatic increase in service frequency:…
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PTUA welcomes train and bus service boosts
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed public transport service upgrades in the 2026 State Budget, and said ongoing upgrades are needed to help give people more travel options. “The current fuel price crisis is a reminder that more Victorians need viable transport options”, said PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen. “Upgrades to bus and train…
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Zip line plan for Fishermans Bend
With the State Government failing to commit to major public transport upgrades into the growing Fishermans Bend precinct, such as the Metro 2 tunnel or even tram extensions, a plan has emerged to run zip lines into the area. Stage one would see a zip line from a major CBD building to Fishermans Bend. Candidates…
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Free PT in April
Free public transport from 31st March to the end of April will make a big difference to the people who already use the network or can easily move their trips from driving onto public transport. There’s obviously less benefit for people for whom public transport is not a viable journey choice, due to lack of…
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Ghazeepore Road Bus Stops Highlight a Bigger Problem with Transport Planning
A recent Councilor Column by City of Greater Geelong councillor Andrew Katos in the Geelong Times raised concerns about newly constructed bus stops on Ghazeepore Road that remain unused due to accessibility compliance issues. While the article focuses on the inconvenience to motorists and the frustration of delayed activation, it misses a more fundamental point:…
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PTUA welcomes Metro Tunnel timetable boost; more needed
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed to extra train services delivered with the full opening of the Metro Tunnel on 1st February. The Metro Tunnel shifts the busy Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham lines out of the City Loop, freeing up track space for more trains. The initial timetable will include trains every few minutes…
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Melbourne’s tram network still fails accessibility test
The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office has again exposed Melbourne’s lack of progress on tram accessibility[1]. In 2023–24, only 18% of tram services were fully accessible, up just by 3% from 15% in 2018–19. “True accessibility needs both low-floor trams and level-access stops”, said Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) spokesperson Daniel Bowen. “Without both, many passengers can’t…
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Letter to The Age: Government must be accountable
The ongoing contractual payments to Metro Trains to cover lost revenue due to higher work-from-home rates show how misleading it is to argue governments can shift “revenue risk” to the private sector by privatising public services. It is ultimately governments who remain accountable for the standard of public goods and services, whether the ultimate provider…
