Calls to create direct Waurn Ponds-Torquay bus route

A LOCAL resident has been campaigning for over a year without success to get a direct Waurn Ponds-Torquay bus route.

Torquay mother Heidi Rozec has been corresponding with bus operator McHarry’s Buslines, responsible statutory authority Public Transport Victoria, and state and federal MPs since late 2017 about creating a better connection between Torquay and the Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, which she says would be especially beneficial for young people and the elderly.

At the moment, the closest a traveller from Torquay can get on the #51 bus to the shopping centre is either Pioneer Road, which still leaves a two-kilometre walk; or Heyers Road, where they face a wait for the #40 bus.

Ms Rozec said a direct link to the shopping centre would not only give Torquay’s youth something to do but also offer more employment opportunities.

“I’ve had so many people text me and say ‘oh my god, what a good idea’.

“As a parent, I would feel much safer having a direct run to Waurn Ponds for teenagers to make Reading Cinemas accessible, and as a stepping stone. We need our younger youth to gain some street sense.

“As for the elderly, a trip to Waurn Ponds for a coffee and movie is less daunting than Geelong.

“I’m hoping to make changes to allow our children and parents to feel safer by having a direct run, instead of making kids hop off and have a lengthy wait to then get on another bus just to get to Waurn Ponds. This can take 50 to 60 minutes from a starting point in Torquay, which is beyond acceptable for our elderly and youth, even on weekends.”

In a reply to Ms Rozec, McHarry’s Buslines service development manager Benjamin Sangster said McHarry’s operated its public bus services as part of the Myki system under contract from the state government.

“We are trying to have more direct services to and from Waurn Ponds from a lot of different areas.”

Ms Rozec has also raised the issue with former South Barwon MP Andrew Katos as well as Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson, who emailed state Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan. In her response to Ms Henderson, Ms Allan said Transport for Victoria (TfV) “regularly reviews the entire bus network to identify opportunities for improvement”, and she had asked TfV to consider Ms Rozec’s feedback.