By Luke Voogt
V/Line’s new weekend timetable will cause hardship and confusion for Geelong’s elderly and “most vulnerable”, according to transport advocate.
The increased train services next month were welcome but the timetable failed to link with local bus services, warned Paul Westcott, the Geelong convenor of Victoria’s Public Transport Users Association.
“Trains are planned to run every 40 minutes but most of our local buses only run every hour on weekends – that means connections between trains and buses will be impossible.”
The broken connections would disadvantage anyong without a car, especially given the infrequency of weekend services, Mr Westcott said.
“Public transport depends on a network effect, which requires quick and convenient transfers between different routes and modes.
“Whoever decided that trains would run every 40 minutes has completely ignored that fundamental requirement.”
A 30-minute train frequency would overcome or 40-minute would overcome the problem, Mr Westcott said.
But decreasing weekend bus frequency to 80 minutes would be “totally unacceptable”, he said.
“The Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, must fix this looming problem.
“What is threatened in August isn’t public transport integration, it’s public transport disintegration.”
On 9 May the Premier and Ms Allan announced the delivery of 69 Geelong services every week across the V/Line network from 27 August.
The changes will add 30 services on weekends, meaning trains at least every 40 minutes between 7am to 7pm every day.
“We’ve added more regional services than any government in Victoria’s history,” a spokesperson for Ms Allan said.
“These extra services will reduce waiting, reduce crowding and get regional passengers home safer and sooner.”
A Transport for Victoria spokesperson said changes in bus frequency reflected the demand for transport within the region.
The authority would continue to review weekend bus timetables to make improvements in co-ordinating buses and trains, they said.
