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Category: Media releases

  • Side-effects of car use costing Australia $100 billion per year

    The side effects of motor vehicle use are costing Australia at least $100 billion each year, according to a submission released by the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) today. The cost of impacts such as pollution and road trauma are more than three times the level of taxes and charges on road users, based on…

  • It’s a new era of Federal funding, but are these the right projects?

    The Federal Government are to be congratulated for finally putting money into urban public transport, which will cut congestion by getting cars off the road, cut emissions, and give people more sustainable transport choices. But brickbats are due to the Brumby State Government for advancing flawed projects, says the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA). Despite…

  • Brumby to blame for poor Federal transport priorities

    Public transport infrastructure announced for Melbourne in this year’s “nation building” Federal Budget may not deliver any real benefit to passengers – and the Brumby State Government is entirely to blame, says the PTUA. “All indications are that when it comes to Victorian public transport, Wayne Swan will be ploughing all the available money into…

  • PTUA Advances Liveable Transport Plan Alternative

    Melbourne’s train services would double, buses would run every 10 minutes on every arterial road, and more country rail lines would be restored. And this would only cost 40% of the government’s $38 billion transport plan, according to a new report released today by the PTUA. The Connecting to the Future report is billed as…

  • PTUA calls for station “gateway” flags

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for the Australian flags on the Westgate bridge to be moved to Footscray station, in recognition that the station carries more people through it than the bridge at peak hour. (Artist’s impression) The Westgate Bridge was fitted with two flags in 2008, costing $350,000 (plus $17,000 per…

  • Opposition to Sunbury electrification an indictment of Connex

    Community fears betray poor standard of metro train service, says PTUA Calls by sections of the Sunbury community to retain the existing V/Line service in preference to more frequent suburban train services are “an indictment of Connex’s poor standard of service”, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) said today, while restating its support for the…

  • 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.…

  • Bus Users Welcome Council’s Tick for Moorabool Street

    The Geelong Branch of the Public Transport Users Association has congratulated the council on its decision to reinstate a central bus interchange in Moorabool Street. Geelong Branch convenor Paul Westcott said that the decision would make Geelong’s bus system more user-friendly and remove a major obstacle to future upgrades. “It’s very pleasing to see the…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Transport Plan a ‘disgrace’ to the Outer East

    The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has slammed John Brumby’s Transport Plan for failing to provide real transport solutions in Melbourne’s outer east. Instead the plan seeks to bail out Eastlink, while encouraging outer east residents to travel by car rather than public transport. “John Brumby has once again failed to deliver a sustainable future…