Council calls for bus review

THE City of Ballarat council is calling for a review of the region’s public bus network by the State Government and wants to see it changed to better cater to passengers.

Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said many current and potential bus users have voiced concerns about lengthy travel times, and indirect routes.

“With petrol prices hitting record highs, using the bus should be a cheap and easy option to get to work, job interviews, university study or medical appointments,” he said.

“For most Ballarat residents, lengthy indirect routes to key Ballarat destinations, slow travel times and lack of frequency of services mean despite its relative low cost, catching a bus is an unviable alternative to using a car.

“Some of our most vulnerable residents, like our seniors and those with limited mobility, suggest they won’t use a bus because it takes too long, and they need to use multiple services.

“With a few important changes to the bus network, things like having more cross-city routes and not every service going to the train station, more people would choose to catch a bus.”

Improving the bus network was a key issue raised in the municipality’s Integrated Transport Action Plan.