The state government has opened dialogue with the community about what they want from bus services in the wider Geelong region.
Labor’s community consultation to inform a review of the region’s bus network is open from this week until Saturday 12 April online and via pop-up sessions around the region.
Member for Geelong Christine Couzens said as Geelong continued to grow, the public transport needed to grow with it.
“People need to get where they want to go, and this is a real opportunity for the Greater Geelong community to shape what comes next,” she said.
“I encourage people to have their say during this public consultation”
Minister for public and active transport Gabrielle Williams said regional communities “deserve bus services that keep up with how they live, work and travel today”.
“This is about listening to locals and building a bus network that works better for Geelong and the Bellarine,” she said.
The review follows weeks of public calls from students, families and school leaders for the Victorian government to increase the capacity of local school bus services.
St Joseph’s College principal Tony Paatsch also highlighted the dangers associated with students standing in bus aisles due to high demand.
“We’ve got a 72-seater bus allocated as one of the primary Ocean Grove buses, and it can only seat around 50,” he said.
“So there are 25-plus students standing in the aisle as it travels down the Bellarine Highway.
“While that’s legal, we don’t believe that’s safe.”
Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj also wrote to minister for public transport Gabrielle Williams last month, citing “consistent” and “increasingly urgent” concerns about overcrowding and capacity shortfalls.
Labor also announced on Friday that new bus services to Avalon Airport will be available starting this month.
From Sunday 15 March, a new route between Lara Station and Avalon will connect workers and passengers directly to the Geelong line seven days a week.
“Avalon’s growth has been extraordinary, and this bus service makes sure local families can access the jobs and travel options being created right here in our backyard,” member for Lara Ella George said.
Visit engage.vic.gov.au/geelong-bus for full details about the Geelong bus review from Tuesday 3 March.
