Community frustrated at bus timetables

by Bonnie Collings
As the Warragul and Drouin townships continue to grow and the cost of fuel continues to rise, West Gippsland residents are calling for increased local bus services across the region.
Despite a recent uplift in service frequency of Warragul buses following the Gippsland Line upgrade and the "Big Switch" timetable changes last month, multiple posts across community Facebook groups last week revealed significant frustration at the start and finish time Transport Victoria operated buses in Warragul and Drouin.
Drouin resident Nat said after experiencing the impact of the current bus timetabling, she was interested to know how others in the community were feeling.
"I wanted to see how many other people were feeling it and if they were needing (a change to the bus services)," she said.
"Everyday since I put the post up I've been seeing more people commenting saying yes there's a need for it (a service increase), we don't have enough buses here, we can't get here."
Due to a change in circumstance, Nat now relies on public transport to commute between Drouin and Warragul for work. However, there often isn't a bus that gets her to work on time.
"The current timetable does not align with the needs of many residents who rely on public transport for work, education, and essential services," Nat said.
"When I was starting work at 6:30am, there were no buses. I had to get there somehow, it would take me an hour and half if I had to walk."
Similarly, if she finishes work at 5:30pm, Nat said there wasn't a bus that could get her home. .
In addition to the impact the timetable has on getting residents to their jobs, Nat said the current bus services created concerns around community safety and health and wellbeing.
"Without reliable bus services, individuals may be forced to walk long distances in the dark, rely on informal or unsafe transport arrangements, or drive while fatigued after long work shifts," she said.
With cost-of-living pressures and increased fuel prices, Nat said more people would turn to public transport if it was available.
"We can't afford to maintain and drive two cars anymore, especially with the cost of fuel at the moment," she said.
"So many people in other (metropolitan areas) just choose to use public transport rather than driving everywhere, because it's there."
"Warragul and Drouin are the fastest growing towns in Australia, yet we're lacking in a basic service."
Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham said his office had been "slammed" with community complaints regarding public transport in the region.
"I'm acutely aware of the lack of public transport services in our district," Mr Farnham said.
"I have written to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams, and have asked for an urgent review into our public transport services, particularly into Warragul and Drouin. I've asked that those services be expanded, not just by area but by time frame as well, and I am yet to hear a response."
A Transport Victoria spokesperson said the government would "continue to monitor demand and encourage passengers to provide feedback on how we can improve services in the future".
"We're focused on improving our bus network across the state and have recently boosted services in Warragul with more than 100 extra weekly train services and better bus connections to the Gippsland Line," the spokesperson said.