Have bike, will travel ... on a bus

BUREAUCRATS want bike racks on buses to ease a lack of public transport in the suburbs, a leaked cabinet submission shows.

The submission, from the Department of Transport to a subcommittee led by Premier John Brumby, outlines a plan to put bicycle racks on the front of the Government's showcase SmartBuses.

The $660 million SmartBus program provides an "orbital" bus service to the city's outer suburbs, which are poorly served by rail and trams. The submission says commuters who use these buses would benefit from the racks, each holding about three bikes.

But the Opposition said yesterday the Government should be building new rail lines to the outer suburbs, not offering bike racks.

"There are 35,000 residents in Rowville, 45,000 in Doncaster and 12,000 and growing in South Morang who want heavy rail lines that can carry up to 20,000 passengers an hour," transport spokesman Terry Mulder said.

"Bike racks on buses are no substitute."

Religious leaders from the Baptist, Anglican, Uniting and Catholic churches, and the Hillview Community Church and Rowville Salvation Army have all written to Transport Minister Lynne Kosky begging for a railway line to Rowville. The line they want built was first promised in a 1969 transport plan.

Governments since have promised to evaluate a rail link, from Huntingdale station to Rowville.

"We've been waiting too long for this train," Rowville Baptist Church Pastor David Devine said.

In the 1999 election campaign, Labor promised a feasibility study into building a train line to Rowville.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu this week reiterated his party's support for rail lines to South Morang and Cranbourne East, and a light rail line to Doncaster. But he stumbled when quizzed on how much these projects would cost.

Ms Kosky said it was ironic that the Opposition was calling for new train lines.

"We remember that it was them who closed so many," her spokesman, Stephen Moynihan, said.

"This Government has taken action to ensure every Melburnian has access to train, tram and bus services."

The cabinet submission has been made to a special transport subcommittee that includes Ms Kosky, Roads Minister Tim Pallas, Treasurer John Lenders and Planning Minister Justin Madden. It is working on a Melbourne-wide transport plan, to be released in November.

It will be the third "long-term", multibillion-dollar transport strategy produced by the Government since 2004.

Read the original article at TheAge.com.au

Putting bike racks on every bus is a great idea, in my humble opinion. Of course... I don't see it as an either/or deal... more a both/and. Yes, build the new railway lines, but please put bike racks on the busses as well!