Left stranded

TWO American tourists were stranded last week at Yering Station after being told they’d be able to flag down a bus to get back to Lilydale.
But the incident has shown that not all tourists are self-driving, with the need for public transport not just affecting residents but also visitors.
The American friends had come out to the valley via train and were dropped off at the winery, but found themselves waiting by the side of the busy Melba Highway for almost two hours in 33 degree heat.
While McKenzies Bus Lines has four afternoon services between Yarra Glen and Lilydale, at 1.10pm, 2.05, 2.45 and 4.30pm, the friends found themselves stuck without a timetable from 3pm until a good Samaritan gave them a lift to the station.
Cathy Silliman, from California, said they wanted to get around the valley on their own rather than with a tour.
“We just wanted to go to a few wineries and see what was on offer,” she said.
“We didn’t expect to be standing by the side of the road all afternoon.”
McKenzies bus manager Brad Sanders said he permitted his drivers to stop for passengers at non-designated stops as long as it was safe to do so.
“If there are no vehicles behind them and the area is safe, they’ll do what they can to help people,” he said.
“We want to encourage everyone to use the services that are already there but as we’ve seen in other areas, when they get an upgrade to increase services they get the increase in passengers.”
Mr Sanders said despite heavy campaigning at the previous state election, at the moment there was no money being spent on increasing bus services.
“The reviews that did happen came up with the fact that we needed more frequency, but unless there’s the funding to deliver these services the people won’t get them.
“We’re in an area of good tourism, close to Melbourne, with lots to offer … we need to offer that to non-driving tourists.”
Yarra Ranges Regional Marketing Interim CEO Julie Sampson said the majority of tourists to the valley were self-driven or came on tour buses so they could enjoy the wineries responsibly.