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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 ban. We believe such a ban makes minimal difference to overcrowding (reportedly less than 100 cyclists use trains at peak times) while severely impacting those who have a genuine need to take their bicycle on-board. There are other more effective measures that can be made to relieve overcrowding on trains, without banning particular groups of passengers.

• Bicycles to be banned from peak hour trains — more information on this issue
• Bin The Bike Ban campaign

Following the success of the Warrigul Road SmartBus (route 700), the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is calling for the State Government to fix bus priority along with further upgrades. This would help to bring the bus service into line with trains.
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The PTUA has today launched a study of public transport governance, comparing public transport management around the world, and looking at the past and future of Victoria’s public transport.

The “good governance” of public transport systems means having the appropriate organisations with the necessary powers, skills and responsibilities to deliver services that compete effectively with the private car option. Effective governance has been found to be the most critical requirement for ensuring “best practice” in urban transport, more even than adequate funding, infrastructure or land-use planning. The lack of effective governance largely explains why public transport in Melbourne, and Victoria more generally, fails to be competitive with car travel despite its extensive train and tram infrastructure, generous recurrent funding, multimodal ticketing and a moderately public-transport-friendly urban form.

• Transport governance: Public transport management that works for passengers

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