Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition finalised a report into the short-term priorities of the eastern region. This report, which was requested by Premier John Brumby, presents the projects required by the eastern region to assist in mitigating rising petrol prices and worsening traffic congestion.

These priorities, such as a new bus route for Canterbury Road, which would travel between Ringwood and Box Hill, and further improvements to bus service frequencies and operating spans, as well as pedestrian priority measures across Maroondah Highway, can be implemented in the short term and assist in providing transport choice across the eastern region. These projects need to be reinforced by longer term investment in the region, such as the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and new rail lines for Doncaster and Rowville, which would drastically reduce car dependency across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

The State Government’s transport strategy, which will be released in November this year, must deliver public transport improvements across Melbourne and deliver the necessary infrastructure to our outer suburbs. After several attempts at a long term transport strategy, including the clearly insufficient Meeting Our Transport Challenges, which was released in 2006, the State Government must finally deliver real public transport improvements and provide immediate relief to rising petrol prices and improve the accessibility and sustainability of our outer suburbs.

The Eastern Transport Coalition’s short-term priorities for the eastern region will be delivered to the Premier’s office on Friday.