Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) President Daniel Bowen has announced that he will step down next month.
Mr Bowen said that after nine years as President, he’d decided to take a break, and will not seek re-election at the PTUA’s Annual General Meeting on October 11th.
“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to lead the campaign for better public transport for the past nine years”, said Mr Bowen.
“In that time we’ve had some significant wins: all-night services on New Years Eve, more services moving Melbourne towards our ‘every 10 minutes to everywhere’ vision, and recognition from politicians of both sides of the importance of public transport, and of the issues of overcrowded and infrequent services and the lack of timetable co-ordination between modes.”
“And the PTUA has grown in stature, with membership numbers increasing, the popular discount ‘Commuter Club’ ticket scheme, and regular member meetings giving a chance for our members to hear and ask questions of prominent players in Victorian public transport. And we have a strong presence in the media, as well as on social media.”
The next PTUA President will be decided by members at the AGM, but Mr Bowen said that current Secretary Tony Morton was looking like a frontrunner. “If elected, Tony will do a terrific job in helping keep the government and operators honest”, said Mr Bowen.
Mr Bowen added that it was a great time for more PTUA members to get involved with the running of the organisation. “It’d be great to see some new faces on the committee. There’s enormous potential to push the debate forward as we move towards the 2014 state election.”
Mr Bowen said that he would remain an interested and active observer in the transport debate, including via his blog, which is believed to be widely read in government and transport circles.
“Politicians of all flavours would do well to remember that the last election swung on public transport issues. Some progress has been made, but the people of Melbourne and Victoria want to see more action on providing fast, frequent, reliable, coordinated public transport”, Mr Bowen concluded.
* * *
The PTUA Annual General Meeting will be held on October 11th, and all PTUA members are welcome. (Non-members can sign up at the door.) Guest speaker will be John Stone from Melbourne University, who will talk on the importance of community involvement in public transport.
* * *
Daniel Bowen has been on the PTUA committee since 2002, and became President in 2003. He was also newsletter editor from 2001 to 2009. He can’t remember, but thinks he first joined the PTUA around 1990.
Tony Morton has been on the PTUA committee since 1997, and has been Secretary since 2004.