The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has extended a marvellous Melbourne greeting to new train operator Metro Trains and new tram operator Keolis / Downer, but reminded the government that it still needs to do more to coordinate services and fix infrastructure problems on trams and trains.

“We hope both the new operators will do their best to provide Melbourne with a reliable public transport service, but we also know that many of the problems the network has fall squarely on the shoulders of the government.”

Mr Bowen said that if there was to be any tangible improvement on trains and trams, the government had to commit to, and deliver:

• centrally planned and managed services, with an independent passenger-focussed transport authority to ensure trains, trams and buses worked together as a cohesive network;
• duplicating single track bottlenecks on the rail network, which cause delays;
• upgrading signalling to allow trains to run more frequently and more reliably;
• genuine traffic light priority for trams (and buses) to ensure they moved more quickly through street intersections; and
• accelerating the sleeper replacement programme to reduce the incidents of track buckling during summer.

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The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has criticised the inadequate weekend timetable for the 903 bus, stating that its lopsided frequency is resulting in overcrowding and confusion. To rectify the problem it has called for buses every 15 minutes between Mordialloc and Heidelberg.

“Here we have this bizarre arrangement where Saturday buses run at mixed intervals of 15 minutes and half an hour,” said PTUA Outer East Convenor Jeremy Lunn. “So you might have buses at 12:00pm, 12:15pm, 12:30pm, then not another bus until 1:00pm. Then it repeats all over creating long waiting times, confusion and overcrowding on this otherwise successful service.”
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The PTUA submission to the Victorian upper house Select Committee on Train Services has been released.

PTUA submission (PDF, 449Kb)

Summary:

The present inquiry has been prompted by an ongoing and widespread pattern of failure in Victoria’s train services, culminating in the near-total shutdown of the metropolitan system in extreme heat conditions in late January 2009. In keeping with the terms of reference, this submission does not aim to catalogue the failures that have occurred in Victorian train services in recent years, but to analyse the underlying factors.
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The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed the announcement of a new train timetable to begin in July.

PTUA President Daniel Bowen said that the introduction of trains every ten minutes on the Werribee line was a significant step forward.

“This is the first step towards a ‘metro’-style rail service in Melbourne. The next step is for the government to fund ten minute services right across the network, seven-days-a-week until late.
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This Tuesday 26th of May between 12:30pm and 1:30pm, Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky will participate in an online forum organised by Leader Newspapers. Go to www.leadernews.com.au and follow the link to the Lynne Kosky Live Blog.

More sustainable transport events

Please join the PTUA to receive regular newsletters.

May 2009 edition articles:

• Funded: South Morang rail, Sunbury electrification, Tarneit/Regional link – but at what cost?
• Member meeting: Monday 15th June (please note date in paper newsletter is wrong)
• Watching over the fleet
• Parliamentary Select Committee on Train Services
• Senate inquiry probes Federal funding
• South Morang not far enough
• Connex trials modified train
• Flags for Footscray
• Northeast standard gauge project welcomed
• Geelong: buses to be upgraded
• Multi-million dollar Myki rolls on
• Connecting to the Future: Our transport alternative

Members can read this edition online.

The side effects of motor vehicle use are costing Australia at least $100 billion each year, according to a submission released by the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) today. The cost of impacts such as pollution and road trauma are more than three times the level of taxes and charges on road users, based on research outlined in the submission.

“We’ve known for a long time that car dependence is costing us dearly,” said PTUA President Daniel Bowen. “But the size of these social costs left us gobsmacked. It would be economic, social and environmental madness to keep driving down the road of car dominance.”
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The Federal Government are to be congratulated for finally putting money into urban public transport, which will cut congestion by getting cars off the road, cut emissions, and give people more sustainable transport choices. But brickbats are due to the Brumby State Government for advancing flawed projects, says the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA).

Despite the name, the Regional Rail Express project funded by the Federal government will help metropolitan train users, by separating out fast and stopping trains, allowing many more trains and better reliability. The lengthening of platforms at stations is also good news for regional and outer-urban passengers.
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Public transport infrastructure announced for Melbourne in this year’s “nation building” Federal Budget may not deliver any real benefit to passengers - and the Brumby State Government is entirely to blame, says the PTUA.

“All indications are that when it comes to Victorian public transport, Wayne Swan will be ploughing all the available money into the metro rail tunnel,” said PTUA President Daniel Bowen. “But it’s a completely unnecessary project. We have already doubled the capacity of the city’s rail network: we did it in the 1970s, with the City Loop, yet everyone seems to have forgotten. All this new tunnel will do is soak up all the money that should be used to extend rail and bus services into our growing suburbs.”
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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 the alternative to the Victorian Transport Plan. Its proposed package of improved public transport services and targeted road works includes rail extensions to Rowville, Doncaster, Mernda, Clyde, Mornington and the Airport, tram extensions, return of conductors to trams and staff to all stations, country train lines, level crossing removals, rural road and bridge repairs, and a massive boost to bus services.
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