Bus travellers taking the SmartBus Route 901 service from Ringwood to
Frankston are now enjoying even faster travel times due to recently
completed bus priority road works at the intersection of Seaford, Ballarto
and Dandenong-Frankston Roads.
Jude Perera, Member for Cranbourne, said the $400,000 Brumby Government
project, completed a month before scheduled, is already reducing the time
bus services are delayed at traffic lights.
"The Route 901 SmartBus is the second most popular bus route in Melbourne.
This is no surprise, given that SmartBus travellers enjoy faster journey
times through works such as these," Mr Perera said.
The SmartBus Route 901 patronage has grown by more than 40 per cent since
it replaced three other routes (665, 830, and 831) in March 2008.
The route provides travellers with direct and frequent connections to
Ringwood, Dandenong and Frankston train stations, as well as Knox City and
Stud Park shopping centres.
Jude Perera said the SmartBus service was a credible rival to the car,
because it runs more frequently and for longer hours than other bus
services, operating every 15 minutes between 6.30am and 9pm and every 30
minutes at other times.
"We know people want public transport with longer hours of operation, more
frequent services and better connections to community centres and other
public transport - and that's what SmartBus delivers," Mr Perera said.
"It is especially pleasing to see that so many from the local community
are jumping on the Route 901 SmartBus and really voting with their feet."
With over nine million passengers using the service last year, SmartBus
trips account for almost 20 per cent of the growth in bus use in Melbourne
because the service meets people's needs and expectations.
The Brumby Government's $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan has committed
$290 million to expanding the SmartBus network across Melbourne, including
extending Route 901 SmartBus service to the north and west of Melbourne,
via Blackburn, Greensborough, South Morang, Epping and Roxburgh Park to
Melbourne Airport.
