2017-05-02
Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber says today's budget reveals that trams and trains (city and V/Line) will become more overcrowded and there's no plan to fix the problem.
"The budget predicts public transport passenger numbers will grow faster than increases to services,” Greg Barber said.
"Already massively overcrowded trains and trams are going to get worse. It’s there in black and white - the government has no plan to reduce overcrowding. Every year it just gets worse and worse.
“Instead of blowing billions on new mega roads, shifting freight onto rail and constructing new train lines to the Airport, Doncaster and Rowville should be the priority.
“Throwing money at new mega roads will just increase congestion and pollution. Expanding the rail network to new areas is the only way to reduce traffic and unclog the city,” he said.
“Governments can never find enough money to fix public transport, but there’s always plenty for the next mega toll road.
The budget papers project:
- Tram passenger numbers to increase 4 per cent
- Services will increase by just 1 per cent
- V/line trains - passenger numbers will grow 4 per cent
- Services will increase by less than 0.5 per cent
- City trains - passenger numbers to increase by 2 per cent
- Service levels will grow by just 1 per cent