A six point plan for better Public Transport

Samantha Dunn – Upper House candidate for Eastern Victoria
29 October 2010

“People on the fringe and in regional Victoria are sick and tired of a failing public transport system, this issue comes up time and time again out on the campaign trail, “said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria at the launch of the Greens Six Point Plan to Fix Public Transport.

“It is the Greens who are strongly committed to fast, frequent, well connected, safe and accessible public transport for Victoria. A key step in achieving that is the establishment of an independent and accountable Public Transport Authority,” Samantha said.

“There’s a myriad of agencies connected to the provision of public transport, The Greens would abolish these bureaucracies and transfer their powers and funding, but not necessarily their staff, to the new Public Transport Authority.”

Under the Greens plan urgent problems needing immediate action would be tackled, buses, rail, myki and a future growth taskforce all in the mix.

V/Line was taken back into public hands in 2003. Until recently, it operated in limbo, as the Bracks and Brumby governments tried to devise a way to reprivatise it. As a result, there has been little long-term planning. It needs reform, rather than wholesale replacement.

“There needs to be a concerted effort to integrate our regional transport and devise an integrated rail-bus network connecting regional Victorians to local, inter-regional and Melbourne destinations. This includes a staged program for track duplications, electrification and standardisation to allow for additional services across regional Victoria,” Samantha concluded.

The Greens Six Point Plan to Fix Public Transport:
1. End the failed privatisation experiment
2. Establish a powerful, accountable public transport authority
3. Fixing urgent problems
4. Make public transport safe
5. Extend rail and tram systems
6. Integrated public transport for regional Victoria

For the detailed plan click here.

a public transport plan for the east

I joined with Greg Barber MLC, Greens spokesperson for Public Transport, and Damian Magner, Greens candidate for Eastern Metropolitan to launch the Greens Public Transport Plan for the East of Melbourne at a mock station in Doncaster.

Pictured left to right: Samantha Dunn - Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria, Greg Barber MLC - Greens spokesperson for Public Transport and Damian Magner - Greens candidate for Eastern Metropolitan. It's a disgrace that commuters in the outer east have to wait 30 minutes for train services and up to an hour for connecting bus services, The Greens are committed to fast, frequent, well connected, safe and accesible public transport.

It was a fitting place for the launch, at the old council offices, built in 1892, sited there as it would be right on the railway line, the people of Doncaster have been waiting for their railway line ever since.

Initiatives in the plan that specifically cover Eastern Victoria include:
>Duplication of the single track sections of the Lilydale and Belgrave Lines (the Belgrave line will be limited to Upper Ferntree Gully due to significant topograhical constraints and environmental impacts)
>Triplication of the Box Hill to Ringwood line - this will allow more express services to Lilydale and Belgrave
>A new train station at Hull & Mooroolbark Rds on the Lilydale line
>Implementation of all of the recommendations of the Bus Service Review
>Ensuring all vehicles and stations are fully accessible to all
>Establishing a Public Transport Authority to plan, manage and integrate all public transport services across Victoria

If you'd like to know more about the Greens Public Transport Plan for the East, click here.

Public transport neglect

Samantha Dunn – Upper House candidate for Eastern Victoria
20 October 2010



















“It is scandalous that commuters in the East have to wait 30 to 40 minutes in the off peak time for a train and in some cases over an hour for a connecting bus service, this shambolic service has enormous impact on the quality of life for residents in the outer east, “said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria, at the Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Forum held in Mooroolbark.

“It is the Greens who are strongly committed to fast, frequent, well connected, safe and accessible public transport for the East. It’s important that duplication to single track sections of the Lilydale and Belgrave lines are completed and that rail crossings are removed as they impact on the smooth running of frequent rail services,” Samantha said.

“The Greens support raising basic minimum standards for frequency and span of hours for all bus routes, not just those close to the city.”

“We see considerable inequities in public transport ticketing with the Country Fare along the Upper Yarra corridor, the Greens believe in fair and equitable access to public transport and will work to abolish this inequity for these communities.”

“Public transport should be integrated, buses should meet trains, even simple things like header boards at Belgrave and Lilydale station so the bus drivers know which train is arriving. It’s difficult for them to tell with train delays which train is actually arriving and which passengers they’re supposed to be connecting with.”

“The Greens do have a well considered plan for the people of the East, we know that it is important to get our public transport system working well to respond to the challenges of an aging population, peak oil and climate change. We aren’t wedded to the fossil fuel lobby, cars and freeways as a solution.”

samantha in the press - public transport

Has Brumby short-changed commuters on the Lilydale line?
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
15 Sep 10

samantha in the press – public transport

Party plans for better train links

Leader Newspapers

by Kimberley Seedy

8 Sep 2010

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