Public Transport Users Association
Encyclopedia
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
lobby group in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, based in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
History and Aims
The organisation was founded in 1976 as the Train Travellers Association, and became prominent after the controversial Lonie ReportLonie Report
The Lonie Report, officially titled Victorian Transport Study, was a thoroughgoing study of freight and passenger transport within the state of Victoria, in Australia...
recommended huge freeway expansion and closure of most public passenger transport in the city.
The Association supports a greater role for public transport and less dependence on the private car. Key PTUA policies include:
- A public transport planning authority to provide co-ordinated planning of train, tram and bus services
- More frequent services, longer operating hours and better connections between modes
- Expansion of the trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
, tramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
, and busBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
networks - Urban planning, taxation and transport project resource allocations that do not favour car use over public transport
- Reduced reliance on and building of new freeways
- More staffing at stations and on trains/trams
- Fares that ensure public transport is competitive with car travel
Of particular interest to the Association are potential extensions to Melbourne's metropolitan rail network (including lines to Doncaster
Doncaster, Victoria
Doncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
, Rowville
Rowville, Victoria
Rowville is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 29 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Rowville had a population of 34,412....
(via Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
's Clayton Campus
Monash University, Clayton campus
Monash University, Clayton Campus is the main campus of Monash University located in Clayton, which is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, in the state of Victoria....
) and Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
and an overhaul of the bus network, including more routes being upgraded to SmartBus status.
Achievements
The PTUA successfully lobbied for extended New Years Day public transport hours in 2004, a success that was repeated in 2005, 2006 and 2007. It maintains a high media profile, publishes a newsletter for members and operates an office in Melbourne and several local branches.The current President is Daniel Bowen
Daniel Bowen
Daniel Bowen, born in 1970, is a Melbourne resident best known as the author of the blog, Diary of an Average Australian. Bowen has published this blog continuously since 1994. His other web articles include , sent weekly to a mailing list and posted to Usenet group rec.humor since August 1990...
.