By Alesha Capone
Several commuters have requested bus services along Featherbrook Drive and Hacketts Road in Point Cook, as part of a campaign for improved public transport across the state.
Friends of the Earth Melbourne is running the Better Buses project, which is seeking community input on where improvements need to be made to bus services, particularly in the western suburbs.
Using an interactive online platform, residents can rate bus routes on frequency, reliability and connectivity, and provide feedback on what changes they would like to see in Victoria’s bus network.
The data collected will be used to show which areas across the state are most in need of bus reform.
More than 80 commuters have so far provided feedback on buses within and around the Wyndham municipality, via the interactive online platform, especially within Point Cook.
Comments from different community members posted on the platform include:
“The road on Featherbrook Drive from Boardvard Blvd to Hacketts Road does not have any bus stop.
“We need to have bus stop(s) along Featherbrook Drive and Hacketts Road for transport to Hoppers Crossing station and Werribee.
“We want a bus that starts somewhere near Alamanda and travels through Featherbrook Drive, then come(s) inside the Saratoga estate through Featherbrook estate, Kingsford estate and the go to Hoppers Crossing station.”
Another resident wrote that Saratoga Estate in Point Cook “doesn’t have easy access to a bus route”.
“Having a bus go down Featherbrook Drive and Hacketts road to the closest train station/Point Cook Town Centre or Werribee Plaza may be beneficial,” they stated.
Requests for additional bus services in new estates of Werribee, Truganina and Williams Landing have also been lodged.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said: “We know demand for public transport in Melbourne’s west is high – that is why we have introduced a number of new services to get locals where they need to go.
“We are always exploring ways to provide more convenient transport options and will continue to work closely with the community to ensure our public transport network is accessible and better connected.”
Details: betterbusesvic.crowdspot.com.au/page/welcome
