Cr Chris Templer and Woori Community House co-ordinator Sonja Mazar. 51520
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Valley and Dandenong residents struggling with poor public transport have all but given up hope of help.
This has been the response to a Mount Evelyn-based campaign to make public transport a key State Government election issue in the lead up to the polls.
Woori Community House has joined the campaign, helping to launch bumper stickers with the slogan Public Transport – Make it an Election Issue, in an effort to step up the fight for improvements.
Woori House co-ordinator Sonja Mazar said community members using Woori House struggled to get around with public transport, but had no choice when it was the only option.
“People have issues getting around the valley. The bus timetable is confusing and inconsistent,” she said.
“Those bus trials (between Healesville and Yarra Junction) were a joke – people were only getting to know about the bus when it stopped.”
Ms Mazar said there were very few taxis around the valley and the other issue was the country fare at Allsops Road.
“People have to use public transport to come down from as far as Warburton East and they have to cross the border by one stop to get to us and pay an extra fare,” she said.
“The campaign is important because people can’t get around, they need access to services and transport isn’t available. “
Campaign spokeswoman Trish Bellerby said verbal responses to the cause had so far had been positive, “but practical responses have been nil”.
“Speaking to the proprietors of the Woori Yallock and Seville post offices who are selling the stickers, the comments have been along the lines of ‘yes public transport throughout these areas is awful but it is no good saying anything because the government takes no notice. Nothing will improve’,” she said.
But Ms Bellerby urged people to speak up for better public transport.
Ms Bellerby said the aim was to have more than 1.5 million bumper stickers, selling for 20 cents, on cars across the state. She said more needed to be done to get cars off the roads, public transport was vital for many people to able to get around and better bus and train linkages were needed.
Residents are invited to post opinions, suggestions and comments to www.mt-evelyn.net which will be collated and forwarded to the appropriate government departments.
“Have your say, make your voice heard, let our cars with a sticker send a message to all the would-be politicians in these two coming elections,” she said.
