The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) was founded in 1976 and advocates for public transport improvements across Melbourne and Victoria.  The organisation has two branches, one located in Geelong and the other covering the Outer East of Melbourne.

The PTUA Outer East Branch was founded in 200, where I was one of its founding members and the initial branch convenor.  While I left the PTUA in 2007, the Outer East Branch has continued to grow and this evening I was invited to speak to the members to discuss public transport issues within Maroondah and the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

The top priority for Maroondah is securing a commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, which currently fails disability compliance standards and lacks integration with bus, pedestrian and cycling facilities. The Council will be calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of the Station, so as to complement the works that will be undertaken for the bus interchange.

In addition, there is also a need to accelerate the implementation of the bus service reviews.  While the review into the bus routes serving Maroondah, Knox and the Yarra Ranges was recently released, timeframes have not been provided for the implementation of the longer-term recommendations.

Public transport improvements are essential in improving the amenity and wellbeing of Maroondah, through reducing greenhouse emissions, improving accessibility and mitigating traffic congestion.