By Alesha Capone
A petition calling for upgraded bus services in Tarneit has been presented to state Parliament.
Western metropolitan MP Catherine Cumming tabled the petition, containing 330 signatures, last month.
Dr Cumming said the petition highlights “the escalating commuting issues caused by a lack of new bus routes and poor bus frequency in Tarneit”.
“With patronage at Tarneit train station increasing at an exponential rate, there is an immediate need for more bus routes to cover residential estates like Habitat, The Grove, Haven, Newhaven, Little Green, Riverdale Village, Allura, Elements, Albright and Rothwell,” she said.
“The Western Rail Plan project that includes electrification of the Wyndham Vale train line, as part of Victoria’s Big Build project, could easily take a decade or more to complete and is not expected to start before 2022.
“Residents are not ready to wait another 10 to 12 years to solve the current commuting issues.”
Dr Cumming also said that residents of some estates faced a “considerable safety risk” because they had to “walk unsafely” on Dohertys and Derrimut roads to reach Tarneit station, while roadworks are taking place.
“The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the government to prioritise pedestrian safety, review existing bus routes in Tarneit and increase their frequency to every 15 to 20 minutes and prioritise new bus routes to and from Tarneit train station, especially for estates that have experienced large population growth,” she said.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said it was continuing to “evaluate and review our bus routes to look for improvements and deliver the best possible services for passengers”.
“We know how important public transport is to growing outer metropolitan regions and that’s why we’re currently looking at how we can improve bus services right across Wyndham.”
A state government spokesperson said: “Bus services are vital in the outer suburbs and we recognise the need to continue growing the network as our suburbs grow.”
“We’re working hard to get more buses on the roads, more often, in the outer growth corridors across the west.”
