What, if any, progress is being made by the authorities charged with devising a solution to the difficulties surrounding Bendigo’s new bus system? After waiting years for improvements to be made to the system, long suffering bus users and retailers abutting the central bus stops are now wondering how long it will take to fix the latest set of problems. There can be no disputing the fact that the problems of crowded bus stops and attendant anti-social behaviour are real, and will only get worse as patronage of buses increases as it most surely will. As weeks are dragging by it is to be hoped the authorities have not just abandoned ship in the hope that people will simply accept a poor situation and learn to live with it. The authorities amount to three groups. First there is the state government which has the responsibility to ensure the provision of public transport where it is needed; second there are the private bus operators who are heavily subsidised by the government to run the buses; and third there is the council which has a strong interest to ensure that the system adds to, and does not detract from, the overall interests of the city particularly in the CBD. A fourth party, the police, may also be included because of the anti-social behaviour which has been unfortunately evident around the central bus stops. Locally, most people would think the Bendigo council is responsible for finding the answers but that is not so. Make no mistake, the reponsibility for getting it right rests with the state government and the local members of parliament Jacinta Allan and Bob Cameron. Here is an opportunity for them to be personally involved and show real leadership. Perhaps they are working hard behind the scenes, but it would be good to know what is happening. Until recent alterations to routes and central bus stops, Bendigo’s public transport system had remained almost unchanged from when trams ceased providing the service nearly 40 years ago. In the intervening time proposals for a bus terminal in the city came and went. Even the opportunity to adequately provide for a bus interchange at the railway station has been compromised by the willingness of a previous government to sell too much of the railway reserve for retail development. This action has led to a situation where there is inadequate space to provide both car parking for rail passengers and a good bus terminal. Innovative thinking is what is needed. That’s not to say local people have failed to come up with plenty of suggestions, but it is a fact that authorities are more likely to listen to someone from outside. It is to be hoped the state government does not think the upgrade of Bendigo’s public transport system is complete. With the price of motor fuel rising and likely to rise more as the federal government introduces carbon taxes, patronage of public transport is certain to increase significantly in the near future. Now that the state government has started the process of modernising the city’s public transport system, Bendigonians would be well pleased if sufficient resources were allocated to finish the job.
