CHANGES to Point Cook bus services with the opening of Williams Landing train station will double travel times, residents say.
Ilavenil Arumugam and his family chose their house because it was near bus stops on Sneydes Road serviced by the 416 bus from Laverton to Hoppers Crossing.
But Public Transport Victoria cancelled the route last Sunday as part of changes to Wyndham’s bus network.
Buses no longer stop on Sneydes Road between Boardwalk Boulevard and Hacketts Lanes, and new services mean residents must travel via Williams Landing.
SEE: Finally, movement at the station
Mr Arumugam said the change meant his young family had to walk more than a kilometre to catch a bus, and then travel up to 40 minutes to reach Hoppers Crossing train station.
The journey used to take up to 20 minutes.
“Walking from Hoppers Crossing to the Kingsford estate will take less time than on a bus with the new 493 route, and many people would prefer to walk on dangerous roads with no street lights and narrow roads with heavy vehicles,” he said.
“Bus frequency of the new routes is 20 minutes but travel time is double . . . no thought is given to passengers wanting to reach Hoppers Crossing or Werribee.”
Gopi Chand, who also lives near Sneydes Road, said PTV needed to reinstate the 416 service and make it easier for families to use public transport.
He is concerned that his daughter will now have to travel on a bus around Wyndham for an hour to get to Suzanne Cory High School.
“We moved here because there was a good bus service and it would take my daughter about six minutes to travel to Suzanne Cory by bus. Now she will have to travel for 60 minutes.”
Hobsons Bay Council also wants the 416 service reinstated, saying new services made it difficult for people to access Laverton and Hoppers Crossing.
PTV did not respond before deadline.
