Coalition set to boost transport

By Tania Martin
THE Neighbouring municipalities of Knox and Yarra Ranges last week joined forces with five eastern councils to campaign for improved transport services.
The councils including the Cities of Knox, Greater Dandenong, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges have formed an Eastern Regional Transport Coalition (ETC).
The group’s chairman, Knox Tirhatuan Ward councillor Mick Van de Vreede, said the ETC was launched in Box Hill because it symbolised the kind of public transport facilities that the councils would like to see right across Melbourne’s eastern region.
He said that Box Hill has exactly the kind of kind of public transport facilities that the eastern regional councils want to see with centrally located rail, tram, and bus services.
Cr Van de Vreede said that residents should expect to see regular events highlighting the deficiencies in the current system and that the ETC would be talking to candidates running for State election over the next few months.
He said while the ETC congratulates the State Government for answering some of the eastern regions communities’ needs in the recent Transport Livability Statement, substantial further improvements were needed for residents to access public transport services.
“We are in this for the long haul because the public transport improvements we seek are critical to the success of Knox and the eastern suburbs in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Monika Keane said the ETC would work towards improving bus and rail services including more effective coordination and better patronage.
Cr Keane said there was a number of issues that needed to be addressed in relation to public transport, particularly in the outer regions of the shire.
“We are a long way from achieving a transport system that is equal to those in the inner suburbs.
“And by working together we stand a greater chance of making an impact and we will continue to highlight the issues on behalf of the community until these improvements are made,” she said.