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Public Transport | May 17, 2018

Kealy: Public transport like a return to Cobb & Co

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP says a recent experience of travelling on Victoria’s public transport system felt like a return to the days of Cobb & Co.

Ms Kealy traveled from Horsham to Melbourne to attend Parliament last week on V/Line to witness first-hand the frustration of western Victorians fed up with a poor public transport system.

The trip of 300km, which took over five hours to complete including a 50 minute wait for a ‘connecting’ train in Ballarat, finally arrived in Melbourne late causing Ms Kealy to miss her midday meeting at Parliament.

“Labor’s Transport Minister has stated that “all passengers deserve reliable and punctual services – no matter where they live”, but my experience on V/Line services could never be described as reliable or punctual,” Ms Kealy said.

“When it comes to public transport in country Victoria, all we have seen from Labor are longer travel times, cancelled services and terrible ‘connecting’ services due to a botched timetable.

“It is ridiculous that it takes more than five hours to travel the 300km from Horsham to Melbourne.

“Unlike The Nationals, Labor has no plan to bring back passenger rail for western Victoria, with Labor’s budget badly failing regional Victorians yet again.

“Only The Nationals will deliver a better deal on public rail and coach services for country Victoria.

“This includes my recent commitment to undertake a $4 million business case as the vital first step to bringing back rail and getting western Victoria moving,” she said.