While the Middleborough Road grade separation has definitely had its share of teething problems, the fact that the project will be completed two weeks early, marking what will hopefully be an end to era of projects being delivered over time and over budget.

While the early completion of the project is a positive outcome, the State Government must learn a number of lessons from this project, including the need to ensure positive and timely community engagement and to ensure that effected residents (such as Laburnum residents in this case) are provided with a higher level of care and replacement services.

On the whole, the early completion of the project is a positive and the replacement bus services between Blackburn and Box Hill, which ensured relatively seamless integration with rail services must serve as a role model for any future rail interruptions.

In recognition of the early completion date the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has issued the following media release:

Media release — Wednesday, 24 January 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Successful project a hopeful sign of things to come

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has congratulated the new Minister for Public Transport in delivering the Middleborough Road grade separation project ahead of schedule and with minimal inconvenience.

“The Minister for Public Transport, Lynne Kosky, deserves congratulations for overseeing the Middleborough Road grade separation project and delivering a project ahead of schedule,” said PTUA Vice-President Alex Makin. “This will hopefully mark the beginning of a new era where the government completes public transport projects on-time and on-budget”.

The grade separation of Middleborough Road marks the first separation of road and rail since Dorset and Boronia Roads in Boronia in 1998. During construction works for Middleborough Road, passengers were transferred to buses between Box Hill and Blackburn with normal operations scheduled to begin on the 29th of January, one week ahead of schedule.

“While it is fair to say that there were teething problems, these were largely resolved after the first week of temporary services”, said Mr. Makin. “The largely seamless coordination between replacement buses and trains must serve as a model for any future interruptions along rail corridors to ensure that inconvenience is kept at an absolute minimum”.

“Upon Lynne Kosky’s appointment as Minister for Public Transport there appeared to be an increase in communication as well as the focus to ensure the project was undertaken with as little inconvenience as possible. We congratulate the Minister on her first successful project and look forward to seeing more public transport projects being delivered”, concluded Mr. Makin.

About the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA):
Founded in 1976, the PTUA is the recognised consumer organisation representing passengers of public transport. The PTUA is a non-profit, voluntary organisation with no political affiliation, which lobbies governments and public transport authorities in the interest of all users of public transport.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: ALEX MAKIN ON 0409 136 213

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