Commuters face cuts

HILLS commuters may soon be worse off after a regional bus service review that may mean the loss of some services.
Shire of Yarra Ranges councillor and Eastern Transport Coalition chairwoman Samantha Dunn has slammed the move.
She said the council had been told certain services would be taken away in order to increase others.
“This is totally unacceptable to our community,” Cr Dunn said.
She told a council meeting on Tuesday 26 May that the preliminary report was not “pleasing”.
“The recommendations they are putting on the table are for the loss of some services and improving others,” she said.
The Mail believes parts of route 689 from Montrose to Croydon and route 694 from Olinda to Belgrave would be cut under the government’s first-round recommendations.
Cr Dunn said the Yarra Ranges were already significantly disadvantaged with a barely adequate transport system.
She is calling for everyone who had input into the review to attend the second round of meetings, which starts on 15 June.
“It’s really important for people to stand up and tell them what they have put on the table so far is disappointing,” Cr Dunn said.
She said the different levels of government talk about solving the public transport problems so far had failed to put up a suitable answer.
“Their way of solving the problem is going to disadvantage people more, not help the community,” she said.