Mt Atkinson has one route to Rockbank and Tarneit
Bus service improvements due to start on 4 October have been welcomed, but campaigners say Melbourne’s west still lacks the fast and direct links many residents need for daily trips.
Mt Atkinson resident Jaksha Shah said her area has just one bus route linking it to Rockbank and Tarneit. For a city-bound trip via Rockbank, residents first travel in the opposite direction, she said.
According to Shah, more frequent and more direct services would give residents greater independence and easier access to essential services. She pointed to shopping centres such as Woodgrove and Watergardens, and to Caroline Springs Station as another train option.
“We welcome investment in better buses. But in Mt Atkinson, we have just one bus route connecting us to Rockbank and Tarneit. For a city-bound journey via Rockbank, we first travel in the opposite direction,” Ms Shah said.
Western suburbs plan seeks 10-minute routes
Shah called for a funded western suburbs bus plan with clear delivery dates. Better Buses – Friends of the Earth Melbourne backed that call and pointed to the Better Buses for the West proposal from Melbourne University.
That proposal sets out a grid-based network with buses every 10 minutes on priority routes. It also calls for services to coordinate with train connections, run later at night and operate throughout the weekend.
The group argued that the network could cost the same as the current system of infrequent, long and winding routes. However, it did not provide a dollar figure.
Shah said better buses would help with more than commuter travel. She said residents need practical links for shopping, school and medical appointments, especially when they do not want to rely on a car.
“We need a fast, frequent grid that would give us direct connections to shopping centres like Woodgrove and Watergardens, and to Caroline Springs Station as an alternative train connection,” Ms Shah said.
She also argued that stronger bus links would widen access to jobs and services across the west. As a result, families would have more transport choices and children could travel more independently.
“Getting to the shops, school or a medical appointment should be manageable without a car,” Ms Shah said.
Better Buses said the west needs more investment and attention beyond the changes due on 4 October. Its case is for a network built around frequent, direct connections rather than routes that loop through suburbs and add travel time.
