‘Nightmare’ off track

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
LAUNCHING Place resident Heather McPherson said her 12 years of catching public transport in the Yarra Valley has been a “nightmare”.
Ms McPherson catches the bus from Cairncroft Avenue, one stop after the Allsops Road fare change.
Ms McPherson said the country fare can work out cheaper when travelling between Allsops Road and Warburton without stopping in between.
“But I do classes in Warburton on a Wednesday so if I want to stop at Safeway in the Junction, I end up paying $3 (pensioner fare),” she said.
“That is more than a zone 2 ticket – and double for those paying full fare.”
“If I go to the city it costs me $1 to go up the road for one stop and then add on the fare to the city.”
Ms McPherson said the lack of weekend buses restricted any ability for a social life.
“The first bus to Warburton goes past my stop at 10.46am on Sundays – too late to take anything to the local markets,” she said.
Ms McPherson said the last buses home from Warburton were at 8.30pm.
“You can’t go to a restaurant, or see a movie, or go to any functions or visit friends,” she said.
“The same applies to going down the line; the last bus back from Lilydale leaves the station at 8.50pm weeknights except on Fridays at only 9.35pm.”
“There have been times when I have had to hitchhike out of desperation, which is not something that I would advise others to do.”
Ms McPherson also said the Warburton side was a “dangerous stop”.
“I’ve almost been run over, been sprayed with water and stepped on heaps of broken glass which surrounds the stop,” she said.
Ms McPherson said there was no footpath and no street light at the end of Cairncroft Avenue, so she carries a torch in the late afternoon to get home.
“On the Warburton-side bus stop the surrounds are so bad in winter that to get to the stop from my street I have to take my life in my hands and walk down the highway,” she said.
“Life out here on public transport is a nightmare.”