Late bus pledge

By Dion Teasdale
YOUNG public transport users travelling along the Warburton Highway have been targeted by the Baillieu-led Opposition in the lead up to next week’s State Election.
A Baillieu Liberal Government would provide a 12-month trial of a late night bus service between Warburton and Chirnside Park Shopping Centre, Liberal candidate for Evelyn, Christine Fyffe announced last week.
Joined by Shadow Youth spokesman Nick Kotsiras and Liberal candidate for Gembrook Simon Wildes, Ms Fyffe said the bus service would benefit the Yarra Valley’s young people.
The trial bus service would operate from Chirnside Park shopping centre to Warburton on Friday and Saturday nights, leaving at around 10.30pm and 12.30am.
Ms Fyffe said the service would run from Chirnside Park via Lilydale station and towns along the Warburton Highway, to Warburton.
“The bus will give young people and families the opportunity to attend sports events, concerts and restaurants knowing they can get home safely,” she said.
“It’s important that we give our young people something to do on weekends and provide them with a safe way to get home so they don’t hitchhike, loiter in town or drink drive.”
Ms Fyffe said the late-night buses would have a mobile phone for passengers to use to call friends or family to collect them from bus stops along the Warburton Highway.
She said continuation of the service would depend on patronage over the 12-month trial period and, if successful, a second service could be introduced, which would travel to Healesville, via Coldstream and Yarra Glen.
Mr Wildes said the initiative showed the Liberal candidates were listening and responding to the needs of the Upper Yarra communities.
“This bus service trial will help young people, single car families, and people without cars better connect to employment, recreation and leisure activities,” he said.
However, Heather McTaggart, Evelyn MP, and Tammy Lobato, Gembrook MP, were this week united in defending the Bracks Government public transport track record.
“Under 25 years of Liberal representation in this area, commuters were completely ignored and this is just a grab for votes,” Ms McTaggart said.
“The Bracks Government already has the runs on the board when it comes to addressing the immediate transport needs of Evelyn and the Upper Yarra Valley.”
Ms Lobato said bus routes and service frequency had increased under the Bracks Government and that more would be done if re-elected.
“We have introduced a wide range of bus service upgrades and unprecedented late night services,” she said.
“We’ve extended services so that they run from 6am to 9pm on weekdays, 8am to 9pm on Saturdays and public holidays, and from 9am to 9pm on Sundays.”
Both Ms Lobato and Ms McTaggart said they would seek further public transport improvements for users along the Warburton Highway.
“We have a good track record with bus services, and are more interested in working with local communities towards further improvements than engaging in vote-buying exercises,” Ms Lobato said.