Lancefield bus improvements

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BETTER LANCEFIELD AND ROMSEY BUS SERVICES
From the Minister for Public Transport
Friday, 01 October 2010

Weekly bus services in the Macedon Ranges will be almost doubled following a Brumby Labor Government investment to improve local bus connections.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula today announced Romsey and Lancefield communities would benefit from an additional 47 bus services per week from 11 October.

“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to improve bus services in regional centres and this bus boost for Romsey and Lancefield will extend service coverage and increase the span of services to run later at night,” Mr Pakula said.

“The service improvements will increase the number of weekly services from 55 to 102 services and better structure services in line with community travel requirements.”

The improvements to bus services for the communities of Lancefield and Romsey are:
• Re-routing Monday services from the Lancefield/Gisborne route to Lancefield/Sunbury in response to travel patterns, which show Sunbury is the preferred destination that day;
• Introducing an 8.15am and 10.30am Lancefield to Sunbury six-day-a-week service, which extends and replaces the current Wednesday and Friday 9.25am service;
• Connecting all peak bus services with trains at Sunbury or Clarkefield instead of Riddells Creek;
• Four additional later PM train-to-coach connections at Sunbury and Clarkefield for city commuters travelling to Romsey and Lancefield;
• Introducing a Macedon Ranges East-West link, with two return trips from Monday to Saturday between Lancefield and Kyneton; and
• Introducing a 35-minute roaming bus service around Lancefield and Romsey on Thursdays and Fridays to connect passengers to the 9.30am coach service from Lancefield to Kyneton, and returning passengers home from the coach after its 2pm arrival at Lancefield.

Member for Macdeon Joanne Duncan said community information sessions about the improvements in Romsey and Lancefield during August attracted about 40 attendees who supported the changes.

“A number of individuals had suggestions about further service extensions and these will be reviewed over the next year months for feasibility,” Ms Duncan said.

“As a result of community and Macedon Shire feedback, the bus route from Lancefield to Kyneton has been amended to go through Newham and Carlsruhe rather than Cobaw and Carlsruhe.

“These improvements are part of the Brumby Labor Government’s $631 million Ready For Tomorrow: A Blueprint for Regional and Rural Victoria initiative.

“Ready For Tomorrow commits $11.4 million to improve town bus services in Latrobe Valley, Romsey and Lancefield so communities can enjoy better access for to work, education opportunities and community, health and other services.”