Opposition slams Vic govt transport plan
The Victorian government has failed to improve public transport in almost four years in office despite a recent series of initiatives, Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews says.
Since May, the government has pledged to build a new rail tunnel linking Melbourne's north and south, a new airport rail link, a new ferry from the western suburbs to Docklands and additional train, tram and bus services across the state from July 27.
But the government faces criticism because it abandoned the Melbourne Metro plan to link north and south with new stations in the busy Parkville university and health precinct in favour of its rail tunnel, which will run via South Melbourne.
Meanwhile, a Yarra Trams report, detailed in Fairfax newspapers on Monday, says the government must order at least 110 new large E-class trams and scrap 147 smaller, 1970s-era Z-class trams to meet commuter demand.
Mr Andrews said the 50 new E-class trams that have been ordered already were ordered by Labor before it lost the 2010 state election.
Problems with overhead wires that shut an 8km stretch of the Frankston rail line on Monday morning was exacerbated by a failure to arrange enough replacement buses for commuters, he said.
Mr Andrews said Premier Denis Napthine has "no real plan" for public transport.
"He's in the last six months of his four-year term. He's got a botched rail plan that takes people to parts of the city where no-one lives but cancels stations in that Parkville-University of Melbourne-Royal Children's Hospital precinct, where 150,000 people visit and work every single day," he said.
"Denis Napthine is for slick ads on TV and a $20 billion toll road tunnel, not investing in the basics, the things that make a real difference for people using public transport."
Mr Andrews said a Labor government would introduce all-night public transport on Fridays and Saturdays and restore the Metro proposal.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the changes to the Melbourne Metro plan were an improvement on what Labor had promised.
"It increases passenger capacity from 20,000 extra passengers an hour to as many as 35,000 extra an hour," he said in a statement to AAP.
"Melbourne Rail Link includes the much needed rail link to Melbourne Airport that Labor refuses to build."
