By Alesha Capone
A resident who has started a petition calling for a bus service in Truganina’s Allura estate says most of the infrastructure needed is already in place.
Jazeer Nijamudeen said about 60 people have so far signed the petition, but he hopes to get about 300 signatures in total.
Mr Nijamudeen said a group of about 30 residents also met with Tarneit MP Sarah Connolly to discuss the lack of bus services, at a community meeting on October 19.
The petition, to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, states that the lack of bus services through the estate has a “significant impact on residents’ ability to safely access employment, education, healthcare and the supermarkets”.
“This disproportionately impacts disadvantaged residents who are too young, too sick, too old or too poor to drive,” the petition states. “They are currently forced to walk up to two kilometres to catch a bus.”
Mr Nijamudeen said that buses often travelled through the estate to the Williams Landing train station, beginning at the CDC depot in Williams Landing, which is located near Allura.
“It’s a bit ironic and a bit of a joke, as the CDC bus depot is actually opposite the estate,” he said.
Mr Nijamudeen said he believed the estate’s Elmhurst Road was of a suitable width for a bus stop to be installed, and it has slip lanes.
He said having a bus stop within the estate would also reduce congestion and increase parking availability at Williams Landing and Tarneit train stations, as it would give Allura residents the option of not driving to the stations.
The online link to a copy of the petition is www.tiny.cc/allura. Signed petitions can be posted to 19 Elderwood Avenue, Truganina.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said: “We continue 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.”
