Brumby Community Cabinet Visit Doesn’t Solve Our Transport WoesTuesday, October 16, 2007 Today’s Brumby Cabinet visit to Manningham has failed to improve our number one issue of inadequate public transport, says the Member for Doncaster, Mary Wooldridge. Instead of tackling the issue head on and making major decisions to fix our public transport infrastructure the Government has settled for announcing that it will bring forward a review of bus services. “While I’m pleased the Government has finally succumbed to the intense pressure from myself, the Manningham City Council and the community to bring forward this review, I fear that commuters will be bitterly disappointed with the news. “The review will provide no immediate relief for those battling daily with overcrowded buses or a lack of adequate services.” “Equally concerning is that the Government has not given time lines for completing this assessment, nor an undertaking that it will implement the resulting recommendations or when they would be carried out. “This community has made its views clear on what it wants – it wants more bus services, longer hours of operation and more weekend services. It doesn’t want, or need, a drawn out or open ended review process. “While I am sure many will be prepared to again tell the Government how they want their bus services run, it is disappointing that Government has not yet managed identify community concerns in sufficient detail for decisive action now. “I’m also disappointed that the Government has failed to outline any vision for long term infrastructure plans such as bringing the tram to Doncaster or moving to resolve the congestion problems on the Eastern Freeway. “I just hope that this review is not simply a cheap device by the Government to make it appear that it is responding to community pressure. It is only by actually putting more buses on the road that residents will believe this Government is serious about supporting public transport in Doncaster. “ Ms Wooldridge said she had read with interest the small investments for a couple of community projects as a result of today’s visit by the cabinet, however there are still many significant projects which appear to remain unfunded. “There has been no announcement about the funding of an election promise to upgrade Doncaster Secondary. While I welcome the installation of traffic lights at King Street and Victoria Street, King Street itself remains an eyesore with open drains, no footpaths and an upgrading bill now topping $11 million. Another election promise, the installation of traffic lights at Old Warrandyte Road, has also yet to be implemented.”
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