Warrandyte Diary, July 2014

The state government is introducing 4000 extra weekly train, tram and bus services across Melbourne this month but Manningham bus users are set to lose under the plan.

Rumours that the 906 bus route from Southern Cross Station to Ringwood would terminate at the Pines have proven to be false, but Warrandyte’s bus user’s aren’t impressed with timetable changes.

From July 27, the last city bound 906 bus on Mondays to Fridays will run one hour earlier, while the first 906 service heading from the CBD to Warrandyte will commence one hour later.

Weekends and public holidays have also been affected by timetable changes to the 906 route.

Resident Jozica Kutin said she didn’t like how the last 906 service from Warrandyte would run 30 minutes earlier and terminate at Doncaster and Blackburn Roads.

Warrandyte’s Mitchell Sheldrick said: “I’d be fine with it if there was a connection to NightRider on Friday/Saturday Nights… most late night 906’s on Sunday to Thursday carry no passengers, but it does get quite popular on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Under the changes, the 906 route will also terminate at Warrandyte Bridge instead of Ringwood Station.

Member for Warrandyte, Ryan Smith, says travellers from Warrandyte Bridge could connect with route 364 to Ringwood “as part of improvements to Manningham bus network”.

“In the Warrandyte area, bus Route 364 has also been extended to Warrandyte Reserve and there will be one AM and one PM extension to Deep Creek Reserve to cater for students attending Warrandyte High School,” Mr Smith said.

Transdev Melbourne defended the changes on Twitter, saying “There are plenty of peak 906 buses for 364 customers to connect to, with 3 – 5mins waiting time … 906 buses will run approximately every 8mins during peak and 364 will run approx. every 15min.”

However, Manningham Council has “grave concerns” about service changes across the electorate, saying Manningham is the only municipality in Melbourne with no train or tram services.

The 286 service from Box Hill to the Pines has been cut altogether, and council chief executive Joe Carbone says council will raise its concerns with the Department of Transport and Public Transport Victoria.

“While the discontinued Route 286 will be duplicated in parts on other routes, the loss of this specific service, and changes to the 295 service, will result in the loss of the only two direct links between The Pines and the Doncaster East area to Box Hill and commuters will need to change at either Westfield Doncaster or Blackburn train station,” Mr Carbone said.

“The 286 Route is one of the most patronised services within Manningham with more than 400,000 boardings a year, and we struggle to see the justification to discontinue this service.”

The new timetables and route maps are available at http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au or transdevmelbourne.com.au

Categories: newsTags: 906, bus, changes, council, diary, Manningham, PTV, public transport, Public Transport Victoria, timetable, warrandyte