The Minister for Transport, Peter Batchelor, has continued to persist with his ill-advised refusal to include bus services along Maroondah Highway, Canterbury Road and Wonga Road as part of the Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN).

The Maroondah Leader has pursued this issue:

A TRANSPORT lobby group has lashed out at the Transport Minister for not including three key bus routes within a network earmarked for improvements.

The Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN) is a key part of Melbourne 2030 and essentially outlines which bus services will be upgraded with longer operating hours and service frequencies.

Silvan Province state Liberal MP Andrew Olexander tabled a report in parliament recently asking Transport Minister Peter Batchelor to include three key bus routes within the Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN).

Mr Batchelor rejected the appeal. His spokeswoman, Kate Leonard, said it was “not appropriate” to include the routes “as they do not provide direct links between activity centres”.

It is absolutely false to claim that bus routes along Maroondah Highway (route 670 Ringwood to Lilydale via Croydon and Chirnside Park), Canterbury Rd (route 679 Ringwood to Chirnside Park via Heathmont and Lilydale) and Wonga Rd (route 364 Ringwood to Doncaster East via Ringwood North and Warrandyte) do not provide direct links between activities. All three bus routes operate in a direct manner connecting Ringwood with surrounding activity centres, such as Croydon, Chirnside, Lilydale and Doncaster.

Ringwood Transit City Community Coalition spokesman Alex Makin said all bus routes served major roads within Maroondah and connected a number of activity centres.

Unfortunately it is becoming clear that the incompetence of the ill-advised Transport Minister, Peter Batchelor is jeopardising Maroondah and the goal of increasing public transport modal share.

“Given that Maroondah Highway, Canterbury and Wonga roads are key thoroughfares into and out of Ringwood, it is becoming increasingly doubtful that the vision of the Ringwood Transit City or even Croydon as an activity centre will be achieved,” Mr Makin said.