[Greens-Media] Public transport misses out in Budget - Greens

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Victorian Greens Leader Greg Barber says public transport services to miss 
out, overcrowding to become extreme after the State Budget released today.

"The state government predicts tram, bus and V/Line passenger numbers to 
actually shrink next year. Are they dreaming?" said Victorian Greens 
Leader Greg Barber

"When you allocate $8 billion to a single road tunnel, it doesn't leave 
much left over to fix public transport."

"V/Line patronage has been growing fast, up 17% in three years, but 
there's been close to zero increase in V/Line services over the last three 
Budgets. There's zero increase in V/Line services funded in this Budget."

"Tram patronage has grown 14% over the last three years. How many more 
people do they think they can squeeze in? There's zero increase in tram 
services in this Budget and there was nothing in the last two either."

"An extra ten million metropolitan train trips are predicted, (a 4% 
increase) but something very close to zero extra services are being 
provided in this Budget to carry all those extra people."

"With critical levels of overcrowding, as many as 1,000 people squashed on 
some morning peak trains, the system will collapse if there's a sudden 
surge in patronage. It's happened before."

"They're claiming a decrease in bus passenger numbers and project that 
decline to continue. Have they been on a bus lately? Many parts of 
Melbourne are desperate for a bus service that runs more frequently, later 
in the evening, or extended to newly built suburbs. Why is there bugger 
all new bus services in this Budget?"

For comment: Greg Barber - 9348 2622

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Liz Ingham
Office of Greg Barber MLC
Northern Metropolitan Region
Victorian Greens Leader

P: 9348 2622
M: 0409 333 595
E: elizabeth.ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au
W: http://mps.vic.greens.org.au


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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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