The state government and Public Transport Victoria have failed to answer questions about whether any new carparks will be built at the Tarneit train station.
Parking at the station has been a long-running issue, prompting one local commuter to set up an online petition that has attracted more than 200 signatures in a week.
Last week, Star Weekly contacted both PTV and a spokeswoman for Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, and asked if there were plans to build more carparks at – or on land close to – the Tarneit station. Star Weekly also asked if more bicycle spots would be installed at the station.
In response, a spokeswoman for the minister said the Tarneit and Wyndham Vale stations had the largest carparks on the V/Line network, with more than 1000 spaces each.
She did not address questions about new carparks being installed.
“Across Victoria, we’re improving bus connections, building over 3000 new station carparks, and installing more Parkiteer bike cages to give people more travel options,” the spokeswoman said.
A PTV spokeswoman also failed to directly address the issue of parking at the station.
She said Tarneit had a large drop-off zone, a Parkiteer cage and six bus routes.
The petition, started by Tarneit commuter Jake Cullen, and calling for an expansion of the station’s carpark – or for a new carpark to be built nearby – has received 216 signatures since it was set up on May 30.
Mr Cullen said a shortage of car spaces at the Tarneit station was forcing public transport users to leave their cars parked on nearby grassed areas, across footpaths and along side streets.
“The aim is to take the petition to the state government, in particular Public Transport Victoria, and request a look into ways the parking could be better managed,” Mr Cullen said. “I feel with the amount of new housing estates and shopping centres around there, it’s only going to get worse.”
Another Tarneit resident, Jason van der Paul, said a future Tarneit West train station – which is due to be constructed near Davis Road in the next 10 to 15 years – should be expedited.
Mr van der Paul also said the Parkiteer bicycle cage at the Tarneit station should be expanded.
