Werribee South has been left in the lurch by changes to Wyndham’s bus network, with commuters waiting up to 60 minutes for bus arrivals.
In July, Public Transport Victoria announced new services and frequencies would be introduced across the city from early next year to coincide with the opening of the $4.3 billion Regional Rail Link in April.
The changes will include eight Wyndham routes running every 20 minutes during the weekday peak.
Five direct bus routes will operate between Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Williams Landing train stations and the new Wyndham Vale and Tarneit stations along Ballan, Tarneit, Derrimut, Morris and Sayers roads.
An east-west route through Point Cook from Laverton to Hoppers Crossing stations will be reintroduced.
But bus frequencies on routes such as the 439 to Werribee South via Werribee Park have already been pushed out to 60 minutes, the same frequency as the 443 from Werribee along Russell Street and Wattle Avenue.
Iramoo ward councillor Peter Maynard said the 60-minute frequencies were insulting.
“It’s not acceptable,” he said.
“There is no way this would be tolerated in the eastern suburbs. They would demand 20-minute buses.”
Wyndham council last week opted to endorse PTV’s changes, subject to consideration being given to the introduction of a direct bus route from first to last train between Wyndham Vale and Werribee stations, demand-responsive buses in areas not serviced by regular routes or for early or late night services, and an extension of the Green Orbital Smartbus route to Werribee.
Council growth and infrastructure portfolio holder Glenn Goodfellow said Wyndham’s bus network was among the least direct in Melbourne.
“Even with the poor frequency, patchy coverage and restricted hours of service; bus usage is higher than average and patronage has doubled in recent years.” Cr Goodfellow said. “[PTV’s] proposal to have more direct, frequent and longer hours of service along main roads has a drawback; it means over 15,000 homes will be more than 800 metres from a
bus route.”
With only one of the Wyndham’s existing six bus routes running until 9pm, Wyndham Transport Advocacy Committee chairman Chris Higgs said extended operating hours or a demand-responsive service with commuters able to flag the night before if they required an out-of-hours pick-up, were a must.
“According to PTV, there’s been low patronage on buses in Werribee South – that’s where we would argue for a more flexible service,” he said.
PTV spokeswoman Helen Witton said Wyndham’s revamped bus network would provide a significant increase in overall frequencies, especially at peak times. “In most cases, where an off-peak frequency of 60 minutes might apply, another route running every 20 minutes will be nearby,” she said.
