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Author: PTUA

  • Service ‘useless’ without stops

    Following intense lobbying from community groups such as the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) and Templestowe Road Reference Panel, recent State Government bus service reviews have finally provided two-directional public transport services along Templestowe Road. However, without any bus stops on the northern side of the road, the new service is useless if it cannot…

  • Passengers give thumbs-down to failed Myki

    The Public Transport Users Association has flagged the first week of operation of Myki on Geelong’s buses as a failure, following feedback from Geelong commuters. PTUA President Daniel Bowen said the association’s Geelong Branch had closely watched the introduction of the multi-million dollar Myki ticket system, and passengers had given it a big thumbs down.…

  • March 2009 newsletter

    Please join the PTUA to receive regular newsletters. March 2009 edition articles: Summer: Trains breakdown, tracks buckle, industrial disputes — what next? Is 20/2020 to be dumped? Decisive action on emissions critical Myki: We told them so Connecting to the future: An alternative plan Smartbus an improvement, could be smarter Big spending plan falls short…

  • Passengers welcome Parliamentary Rail Inquiry

    The Public Transport Users Association has thrown its weight behind the announcement by the Greens MP, Greg Barber, that he will seek a parliamentary inquiry to investigate failures on Victoria’s rail system. PTUA President Daniel Bowen said the extraordinary number of train cancellations over January – well over a thousand – were “simply unacceptable” for…

  • Hold the state government to account: Rally at Parliament on Tuesday

    With the rail system in crisis (again), now is the time to remind the government that they must be accountable. Despite polls showing people would prefer more money be spent on public transport than roads, the government is planning massive expansion of the motorway system under the most recent transport plan. Meanwhile our rail system…

  • Let’s move on real solutions, not just freebies

    The government needs to scrap its re-privatisation of Melbourne trains and trams and get to work on real solutions to the transport crisis, the Public Transport Users Association said today. “Today’s free travel is a gimmick obscuring the real issue,” said PTUA President Daniel Bowen. “It does no good when you’re about to collapse from…

  • Public transport meltdown

    Why does Melbourne’s public transport lurch from one crisis to another? This week’s spate of train and tram cancellations in relentless 40 degree heat made the national news. But it’s hardly the first such crisis to embarrass those in charge. Continue reading this article from PTUA Secretary Tony Morton on the ABC Unleashed web site.

  • Council stalls on bus stops

    The City of Greater Geelong Council has stalled again on approving the location of Geelong’s central bus interchange, blocking $80 million of State Government funding for improvements to the whole bus system. At its meeting on Tuesday night, the Council deferred, for the second time, any decision to approve the recommendation of council officers to…

  • Government must act on trains

    With large numbers of cancellations causing chaos on the rail network, we’re now tracking the number of daily cancellations on our web site. Watch for the last weekday’s cancellations in the top right of page, and daily totals will be listed here. Trains in peak hour can easily carry over a thousand people. This means…

  • December 2008 newsletter

    Please join the PTUA to receive regular newsletters. December 2008 edition articles: Brumby’s grand plan PTUA Annual General Meeting report Metcard changes rolled back Fare rises — Melbourne’s fares still the most expensive Frank Crean 1916-2008 How much can a rail line cost?

  • Melbourne fares still the highest

    The PTUA has updated our comprehensive comparison of public transport fares from cities across Australia. Melbourne once again came out with the highest prices for most trips. The exceptions were short trips (where Adelaide is more expensive) and some long ones (thanks to the removal of Zone 3 in 2007). The comparison was done by…

  • Transport Plan: Little difference for most Melburnians

    PTUA President Daniel Bowen’s 200 word response to the Victorian Transport Plan, for The Age: Little difference for most Melburnians TWO-AND-A-HALF years ago, the government issued Meeting Our Transport Challenges, its long-term vision for Melbourne’s transport system. That document is now in tatters, replaced by the new transport plan. While some communities will welcome new…