- Published:
- Monday 29 April 2024
Communities across Melbourne’s east have taken more than a million additional bus trips, following the Allan Labor Government making improvements to the local bus network last year.
Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams today announced people were reaping the benefits after more than 200 extra services per week were added across Routes 733 Oakleigh and Route 767 Southland – Box Hill via Chadstone, Jordanville and Deakin University – following an overhaul of the local bus network.
These improvements delivered more services throughout the week in several key areas including Box Hill, Deakin University, Monash University, Clayton and Southland with more than 600,000 extra trips already taken on these services in the first 11 months.
In October, a better bus network was also introduced at Deakin University’s Burwood Campus, with SmartBus Route 903 between Box Hill and Mentone rerouted to service the University via Elgar Road – adding more than 1,000 services to the University each week.
The first five months of the rerouted service has seen an uptake of more than 440,000 trips compared to the same period in 2023, and more than 160,000 on the route’s pre-COVID peak.
Surges in popularity have also been seen on Routes 201, 271 and Route 766, which offers better connections to the new Union Station and has seen a 76 per cent increase in patronage over the first five months.
These network improvements are all part of Victoria’s Bus Plan which is improving the state's bus network, making routes simpler, more efficient and better connected across Victoria.
Quote attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams
“We redesigned the bus network in Melbourne’s east adding more services, over more days to give the community even more reasons to take public transport.”
Quote attributable to Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos
“We’re making sure locals have better bus connections between Box Hill, Clayton and key locations including Deakin University’s campus at Burwood and Monash University at Clayton.”