Accessible and affordable public transport is a crucial element of a just society, as well as a key factor in reducing greenhouse emissions. The Victorian Labor Government is working towards improving Melbourne’s public transport network by extending the system to new suburbs, improving connectivity and increasing the frequency of services, whilst improving safety.

Rising petrol prices and renewed concern about climate change have caused an explosion in demand for Melbourne’s public transport system. Patronage has increased by 18% over the last two years and 50% since 1999, providing new challenges for the Government in this area.

Meeting our Transport Challenges
The Victorian Labor Government is currently undertaking major upgrades to Melbourne’s public transport system following this unprecedented increase in demand. Meeting Our Transport Challenges is a key strategy which will inject $7.5 billion over 10 years into improving public transport infrastructure and services.

Additional tracks along the Dandenong and Sydenham rail lines are being built, allowing services to run more frequently across these lines. The Sydenham line will also be extended to Cragieburn and numerous station upgrades across the rail network are currently taking place. ‘Park and ride’ facilities at stations are extending the catchment area of Melbourne’s rail network.

Congestion within the public transport system is being reduced through the introduction of new, free ‘early bird’ morning train services and improved timetabling, in addition to the introduction of traffic priority for many bus and tram routes. New high frequency cross-town SmartBus routes have been introduced, and the frequency and hours of operation have been extended for several existing bus and tram routes.

Level crossings are being upgraded to improve safety. In the 2006-07 State Budget $24 million of funding over the next 10 years was committed to upgrade an extra 90 level crossings with boom barriers and flashing lights, bringing the total number of upgrades to 220. The employment of over 400 more front line staff at train stations will also improve customer service and safety.

Fare Go
Public transport will be more affordable under the Fare Go initiative. The abolition of Zone 3 has already cut the cost of travel for many people living in the outer suburbs, and the introduction of the Miki card will further reduce transport costs for commuters by calculating the exact fare required for the distance travelled. The Government has also cut the price of tertiary concession cards to primary/secondary concessions, extended the availability of concession cards and reduced the cost of V/Line tickets.

TravelSmart
TravelSmart is a program which aims to reduce Victorians’ dependency on cars and persuade them to choose more sustainable travel alternatives such as public transport, cycling and walking. TravelSmart helps schools, universities, local government, local communities and business develop and implement travel plans which reduce greenhouse emissions.

Public Transport Ombudsman
The Victorian Government established the Public Transport Ombudsman to deal with complains about public transport which members of the public have been unable to resolve directly with the public transport operators. The Public Transport Ombudsman provides free and fair service, independent of transport operators and the Government.