By PAUL MILLAR
GEELONG train travellers suffer more overcrowding than any other commuters in the region and are in desperate need of improved services, according to State Greens leader Greg Barber.
He said that V/line had revealed that Geelong’s peak-hour trains were consistently full, but the government had no plan to increase capacity.
“The latest data shows many peak-hour trains are standing room only,” Mr Barber said.
“These figures show Geelong is a special case, with worse overcrowding than other lines,” he said.
However, Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan scoffed at the suggestions that Labor was not investing in transport.
“Only Labor invests in and improves public transport – the Greens can’t and the Liberals don’t,” Ms Allan said.
“The former Liberal Government didn’t order a single V/Line carriage for two years or start any major public transport infrastructure projects.”
Ms Allan said since coming to office the government had delivered 200 extra services a week to Geelong and ordered 21 new V/Line carriages.
“Our rolling stock strategy sets out a 10-year plan for 100 new metropolitan trains, 100 new trams, and a massive expansion of our regional train fleet.”
In January 2013, Mr Barber also had a swipe at the Liberal Government on the same issue, saying: “Five years ago V/line told the government that trains would be standing room only from the opening of the Regional Rail Link. The government has been caught out without a plan for expanding V/line services to keep up with urban growth.
“The government should be urgently ordering more train carriages to meet demand across all our regional train lines.”
The Member for Western Victoria, Simon Ramsay, also bought into the transport debate, seeking assurances from the minister that an immediate review of all bus and train timetables in the Colac and Geelong regions would be undertaken to address failures in timetables and bus routes after the recently introduced changes.
Mr Ramsay said the government needed to apply the appropriate resources and infrastructure in response to the many complaints received so that there was a more reliable service for public transport users.
