Archive for December, 2007

Bicycles to be banned from peak hour trains

December 21st, 2007 (Regional, Melbourne Metro)

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 […]

Read the rest of this article »

High petrol prices here to stay - more public transport needed

December 18th, 2007 (Media releases)

The finding that there is “no obvious evidence of price fixing” by petrol retailers underlines the need for greater investment in public transport to provide an escape from car dependence, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) said today.
“The report on petrol pricing released today by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) shows that high […]

Read the rest of this article »

No Hill without tram

December 18th, 2007 (Media releases, Melbourne east)

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) said today that the Doncaster Hill project was destined for failure without a proper rail transport link and renewed calls for the immediate extension of tram 48 to Doncaster.
“There’s no chance of a successful Doncaster Hill without a tram connecting to the city and nearby suburbs,” said PTUA spokesman […]

Read the rest of this article »

Opinion piece: That slow train is still

December 11th, 2007 (News)

Opinion piece by Anthony Morton, Secretary, PTUA, published in the Herald Sun, 11 December 2007
That slow train is still
HOW do you revive an ailing public transport system?
Who do you blame when your train doesn’t show up because it has broken down somewhere?
Or when it does show up, it’s so crowded you can’t get on?
Who do […]

Read the rest of this article »

Bus as slow as bicycle - Rowville train needed

December 11th, 2007 (Media releases, Outer East, Melbourne east)

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has renewed calls for the immediate construction of the Rowville Railway line, describing the route 900 Wellington Road SmartBus as inadequate.
“Bus services just cannot be compared with trains,” said Jeremy Lunn, the PTUA’s Outer-East Convenor. “The bus crawls along at bicycle pace resulting in travel times of over […]

Read the rest of this article »

Box Hill Commuters ‘hold on’ for Toilets

December 11th, 2007 (Media releases, Outer East, Melbourne east)

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for the immediate installation of toilet facilities to be installed at Box Hill railway station, the only Premium Station in Melbourne without any toilet facilities.
“Commuters have to go out of their way on a stroll through the shopping centre to find a toilet,” said Jeremy Lunn, the […]

Read the rest of this article »

More cities follow the path to public control of transport

December 10th, 2007 (Newsletters)

From our December 2007 newsletter. Please join the PTUA to receive regular newsletters.
A key campaign for the PTUA this year has been working for the restoration of strong public control of public transport in Melbourne and Victoria. Our favoured model for public control is the ‘Transport Community’ model used in cities like Zurich, Vancouver, London, […]

Read the rest of this article »