3 August 2023
Victorian Legislative Council, Melbourne
Rachel Payne MLC – South-Eastern Metropolitan Region
To ask the Minister for Water (for the Minister for Public Transport):
(316) My constituency question is for the Minister for Public Transport Minister Carroll. My constituent is a resident of Noble Park. Like many people in South-Eastern Metro, my constituent commutes every day via public transport. The closest train station to my constituent’s home is a significant distance, and the walk home from the station is long and dangerous at night. This leads my constituent to opt for the bus. Their local bus route, the 800, does not have Sunday services and has very limited services on Saturdays, meaning that my constituent and many others in the community do not have access to frequent and reliable public transport on the weekends. So my constituent asks: will the government commit to more frequent services on the weekend to Noble Park station and, further, to installing a bus stop at Corrigan Road?
Written Answer
Received: 18 August 2023
Hon Ben Carroll MP
(Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment, Minister for Public Transport)
I thank the Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region for her question.
The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) regularly reviews the bus network to identify where improvements can be made. When reviewing existing bus routes or planning new ones, DTP considers several factors including the number of users, suitability of the road network for bus operations, development of a direct and easily understood network, and connectivity with other public transport services.
There are already multiple bus routes operating between Chadstone Shopping Centre and Oakleigh station, providing further connections to other stations along the Dandenong rail corridor later into the evening, seven nights per week. This includes two SmartBus services, the 900 and the 903 which both run late into the evening and on weekends.
Even during the times when the 800 bus operates, a journey between Dandenong and Chadstone shopping centre will likely be considerably quicker by taking a train to Oakleigh before interchanging on a SmartBus route. Passengers are encouraged to use the journey planning tool on the PTV website.
We are continuing to improve the state’s bus network in line with Victoria’s Bus Plan to better meet demand, improve accessibility and performance, and deliver value for money. This will guide future investment in our bus network.
[ENDS]
