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Geelong Branch Media Release

Geelong's Public Transport fails Australia Day Revellers

Geelong's public transport had shown itself to be completely inadequate over the Australia Day Weekend, the Convenor of the Geelong Branch of the Public Transport Users Association, Tim Petersen, said today.

"The last trains back to Melbourne on Sunday left Geelong at 8:25 p.m., fifty minutes before the fireworks had even started," Mr. Petersen said. "This is despite trains departing Melbourne for Geelong until eleven o'clock."

"There's enormous potential for the Geelong Waterfront Festival to attract more people to Geelong by train," Mr Petersen said.

"After a stress-free ride from Melbourne, train passengers are delivered to the railway station, which is only a short walk or bus ride away from the festival."

"But with a sub-standard rail service- up to two hours wait between trains from Melbourne on Sunday morning, and an early last train that forces passengers to miss the festival's finale- Geelong is missing out on a major potential market."

"If Geelong is serious about being a tourist destination, its transport services must reflect it. Geelong needs later train services every day, especially to allow visitors to have dinner in Geelong, and then return to Melbourne. And there's no better way of solving parking problems than by allowing people to leave their cars at home."

Mr. Petersen also said Geelong's weekend bus services- stopping at around 5 p.m. on many routes- just weren't good enough to attract people to catch a bus to the festival. "At the time many buses had stopped running on Saturday and Sunday evenings, there were still four hours of festival activities to go."

"The Bracks Government must step in to ensure that adequate public transport services are provided in the region. Council also needs to lift its game and start lobbying the state government for better services."

Contacts:
PTUA Office 9650 7898

© 2010 Public Transport Users Association Inc. (PTUA), Victoria, Australia. ABN 83 801 487 611.
General copying and distribution on a non-commercial basis is permitted subject to proper acknowlegement.
Authorised by Tony Morton, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, for the PTUA

Last Modified: 28 January 2002