With the federal election only days away, Melton council is urging the major parties contesting the election to listen to the voices of the community and commit now to investment in transport infrastructure.
More than half of City of Melton residents do not have access to public transport within a 10-minute walk.
Train station car parks are over capacity by 7.30am and trains are already reaching capacity in peak periods.
As part of the Let’s Get the City of Melton Moving campaign, council has been asking for urgent investment in major roads and electrification of the Melton rail line as well as three new stations at Mt Atkinson, Thornhill Park and Calder Park.
Residents have shared their stories with council about their daily commutes which involve irregular and crowded public transport, poor connections, and congested and unsafe roads.
Truganina resident Dakshi travels by train to work and after dropping her children at school. She said that when she arrives at Rockbank station, the car park is already full, leaving her to find parking on a side street. This often means she misses the train and has to wait 20 minutes for the next one.
When her husband is home, Dakshi gets him to drive her to the station instead. The four kilometre drive to the station can take up to 40 minutes. In the evenings, if she misses the bus home, she needs to wait an hour for the next bus or pay to catch an Uber home.
Sixteen-year-old Francis catches the train on weekends from Melton to city to meet her friends. She said the trains are infrequent and the connection bus at Melton station is not reliable and often doesn’t make it to the station in time. She is often left waiting up to one hour for the next train.
Francis would like to see electrification of the Melton rail line so she can access more frequent and direct services. She’d also like to see more reliable transport connection to the station.
Hillside resident Darren said he regularly travels from Watergardens stations and finds there is a significant shortage of parking spaces, particularly after 7am.
He said commuters are forced to resort to street parking, where they risk fines due to strict time limits. Many times, he has had to seek parking at stations further away, such as Keilor Plains or St Albans, which adds considerable time and stress to his daily commute.
He said a new train station was needed at Calder Park to alleviate pressure on nearby stations.
