Month: May 2011

Despite Metlink/Viclink replacing most signs around the public transport network, some old ones remain, potentially causing much confusion. This one at Footscray dates back to the Regional Fast Rail project, which was completed in 2006. Help our campaign for better public transport. Join the PTUA now. We rely entirely on member funding and enthusiastic volunteers…

Almost 18 months after Myki started on metropolitan trains, some stations still don’t have enough readers. While some Myki equipment (such as station vending machines) can’t be installed until Metcard machines are removed to make space, Myki readers take little space. At spots like this — the entrance to platforms 1 and 2 at Mckinnon,…

There were major delays to Metro and V/Line services on the Werribee/Geelong line on Tuesday night after a train hit a shopping trolley. Some V/Line passengers were stuck on their train for several hours. Obviously the root cause of the problem was the thoughtless people who dumped the shopping trolley on the tracks, but a…

Most suburban bus services, including those serving major centres such as Chadstone, are woefully inadequate. A bus every half-hour on weekdays (including peak hour) and only every hour on weekends and in the evenings is typical. Smartbuses serve some areas, but most are not that lucky — and even those only run every 30 minutes…

Yarra Trams’ own figures show trams spend an average of 17% of travel time waiting at traffic lights. PTUA figures show on some sections of road, it can be up to 30%. Lack of tram priority wastes passengers’ time, wastes resources (trams and drivers), leads to less frequent services, and leads to more overcrowding. Help…

Level crossings right across Melbourne cause delays to buses, trams, cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. They are also prone to incidents that cause long delays to trains. In Sydney they’ve worked to remove virtually all level crossings — but in Melbourne there are still hundreds in the suburban area. Help our campaign for better public transport.…

While some tram stops have been upgraded to include DDA (wheelchair) access, seats and shelters, many remain unpleasant places to wait. This stop in Kingsway is in the middle of a traffic sewer, with no shelter, and very little space. Are you unhappy with public transport? Use our online tool to write to your local…

Fortunately it doesn’t seem to have happened this week, but flooding in subways and other parts of railway stations has become a regular occurrence. Ormond, Blackburn and Surrey Hills are often unusable during heavy rain due to the poor drainage in their subways, forcing trains to bypass them. They and other stations are obviously in…

This is Lonsdale Street. Bus lanes bring undoubted benefits, allowing buses to overtake stopped traffic. But policing them seems to be rare, and it’s not uncommon to see a bus carrying dozens of people held up by a car with one. It may be as simple as a motorist stopping a few centimetres too far…

The Siemens trains have had problems since their introduction in 2003. Speed limits have now been applied at numerous locations on the lines where they run, so they have to crawl into stations with a level crossing on the far side. This has led to punctuality problems on the lines where they run. This week’s…

Despite upgrades to long (bendy) buses and a service every ten minutes at most times of day, Skybus still gets overcrowded. Some services have large numbers of passengers having to stand as the bus speeds along the freeway from the airport to the CBD. At times, buses have to leave passengers behind to catch the…