By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Northern Bellarine residents have stepped up their campaign seeking reinstatement of the hourly bus service to Portarlington, St Leonards and Indented Head.
A rally in Portarlington attracted about 50 “exasperated” commuters, according to one of the organisers, Jenny Willis.
Mrs Willis said users of route 60, mothballed by Public Transport Victoria under recent timetable changes, were frustrated that State Government had failed to respond to their concerns.
A petition seeking reinstatement of the service to Geelong via Drysdale has so far collected more than 2000 signatures.
Mrs Willis said this week’s rally at the Newcombe St Portarlington bus stop featured a symbolic farewell to the route 60 “no service bus” as part of the protest.
“Angry and frustrated residents and visitors to the northern Bellarine have overwhelmingly supported the return of the service,” she said.
Mrs Willis said the replica “no service” route 60 bus would travel on 4 February to the office of local MP, Member for Bellarine, and cabinet minister Lisa Neville, to deliver the petition and “demand that the issue be immediately rectified”.
The protest comes amid a chorus of concerns from bus users since the timetable changes to coincide with the opening of the Regional Rail Link mid last year.
PTV said the changes were aimed at better aligning buses with rail services, but residents in Lara and Highton particularly complained the changes were backward steps.
Mrs Willis said Lara residents had their service to Corio reinstated in December and questioned why the northern Bellarine was being “disregarded and disadvantaged”.
