Back on the bus

A significant increase in bus services to and from the Hills is a positive thing, especially given that the freeway is the only major vehicle route in and out of the Hills.

Anything that can be done to make that route safer and less congested is welcomed, especially with the lower freeway becoming notorious for major delays caused by accidents and breakdowns.

Increasing the frequency of bus services is likely to go some way to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and use public transport for their daily commute instead.

The State Government said the decision was informed by public consultation and the investment into more consistent, frequent and modern buses to and from the Hills will be welcomed by many who use the services. However, it’s important that this solution doesn’t just become a band-aid fix for the traffic issues being experienced across the Hills.

The Premier was particularly quiet about rail when announcing the new bus services this week.

Rail has been a contentious issue in the Hills, with the previous State Government ruling it out as unviable.

While it may be expensive to set up, rail has some significant benefits over buses, including that it will not get caught up in the regular delays that occur on the freeway.

As recently as August last year the Premier said rail was still on the table as the Government waited for outcomes of a study into Hills transport.

The final outcome of that report has not been publicly announced, but regardless of its assessment of rail, it’s important that the public is made fully aware of the benefits and costs of such a solution and the reason for adopting or abandoning it.

We need better transport solutions in the Hills and all options should be explored in order to set the region up for decades to come.

Buses are a good start, but every solution needs to be thoroughly investigated.