Re: [Melb] Eastern suburbs bus operation changes

["Chris Brown" <sbrown@dragon.net.au>]

Paul Dwerryhouse wrote

>
>>Ventura Route 736 Blackburn - Mitcham,
>>via Forest Hill, Burwood East, Glen Waverley and Vermont South
>>Re-routed to via Rooks Road and Maroondah Highway to terminate
>>at north side of Mitcham railway station.
>>(Formerly via Mitcham Road and terminate at south side of station)
>>Off peak service reduced from 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
>
>>On Wednesday (9/12) the 1929 Reo from Ventura was at
>>Glen Waverley to promote the changes. Sure this is the most
>>high-profile announcement of service changes for a while!
>
>_Promote_ the changes? This leaves those of us on Mitcham road with
>a 30 min service instead of a 15 minute service! (And much worse on
>Saturdays).

These aren't the end of the lowering in service frequencies.  Some others
are:

Waverley Gardens - Boronia (691) 20mins to 30mins, no services after 8pm
(old service ran until 10pm)

Croydon - North Croydon - Chirnside via Dorset Rd (formerly 634, to be
replaced with 664) 20mins to 40mins

and

The urgent requirement for more peak-hour buses (purticularly on route 665,
but probably on other routes too) has not been addressed.  The only new 665
services are 2 evening buses between Knox City and Stud Park.

The new invicta 664 and 691 timetables have 'another local service
initiative' or something like that written on them.  What a Joke!  How can
reducing a services frequency and operating hours possibly be termed an
'upgrade'  Saying that the new services are and upgrade is almost as stupid
as saying that metcard had improved customer service levels.


>What on earth did they decide to do this for?

To save money, I guess, while making it look like they are upgrading
services.



 - Chris Brown
Rowville, Victoria

sbrown@dragon.net.au