Learn about our community campaign for more frequent, connected and 100% electric buses!
Are you sick of poor bus connections, long waits and poorly planned bus routes? Frustrated at a lack of bus services in your local area? Want to see better buses that are more frequent, connected and electric?
Buses in Victoria have long been in need of improvements - with poor connectivity, unreliable services and long wait times key barriers in preventing people from using buses. The Victorian Government’s Bus Reform Plan released earlier in 2021 is a welcome step in the right direction - however there are no clear goals or timelines for how this plan will be implemented.
And with the transport sector being the second largest and fastest growing source of emissions in Victoria, we urgently need to decarbonise our transport system to tackle climate change.
It's great to see the Victorian governments' work on transitioning to renewable powered trams and trains, and plans for large scale train networks to connect our communities. Now it's time for the state government to show the same level of commitment for buses.
We want to see better bus services and connectivity across the state, with a focus on the West, to increase public transport use, reduce emissions and create local jobs. That's why we've launched the Better Buses campaign, calling for 10 minute frequency and 100% electric buses in Melbourne's West, and upgraded bus connections statewide.
Better buses is a climate justice solution that will decarbonise the transport sector and also enable the necessary connections to existing transport infrastructure (MM1, Airport Rail) as well as future public transport infrastructure like MM2.
The benefits of Better Buses:
- increase public transport use
- reduce emissions
- create local jobs
- improve health outcomes
- better integrated transport
- connected communities
Why the West?
Melbourne's West is the fastest and biggest growth area in Victoria, with the suburbs of Melton South, Tarneit, Werribee West, Werribee South, Wyndham Vale and Point Cook South projected to double in size by 2036. Currently the public transport infrastructure, and in particular bus network, isn't adequate to handle the growing population, and there's a high dependence on cars with over 50% of residents in the inner West owning 2 or more cars. Road congestion and air pollution in the West is a major concern, with increasing population growth placing pressure on already busy roads and freeways. Better bus services that are more frequent, reliable and connected to existing train and tram networks are essential in reducing emissions and pollution as well as getting people out of cars and onto public transport.
The demographics of the Western suburbs - primarily young people, migrants, people of colour and those from low socio economic backgrounds - mean that access to affordable, equitable and reliable public transport is essential for ensuring people can access key services in the area. Many residents work in essential services that are often located outside their local suburb, so are travelling into the city daily for employment. Better buses for residents of Western Melbourne is a climate justice solution to ensure that everyone, no matter their background, age or identity can access transport options to get where they need to go on time, without having to rely on having access to a car.
We are calling on Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Minister Carroll and the Victorian government to listen to the community and commit to:
- Improve frequency to 10 minute buses on all routes across Melbourne's West
- All new buses in the West to electric buses by 2025, with a commitment for 100% electric buses statewide by 2030
- Upgrade the top 25 worst bus connections across the state by 2025
- Sign the petition calling on Minister Ben Carroll to commit to Better Buses
- Email Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, to ask him to increase ambition on electric buses
- Join our Sustainable Cities collective and be part of shaping the campaign