Tuesday, 15 August 2023

 Brad ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (19:08): (285) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action that I seek is for the minister to initiate an action management plan to address the overcrowding problem on the 825 bus route that operates within the Sandringham electorate. Last Monday I met with a group of bright young students, leaders from Beaumaris Secondary College. They were not just bright, they were the very definition of what we need and we want a student to be – they were just outstanding. They have joined together with students from Mentone Girls’ Secondary College and Sandringham Secondary College to advocate for increased bus capacity on the 825 route. This year Beaumaris Secondary College is for the first time a full year 7 to 12 school with approximately 970 students. Combined with other local schools there are now significantly larger numbers of students relying on the 825 bus in the mornings and in the afternoons. As a result of the overcrowding there have been numerous reported negative impacts on the students and other passengers who utilise this particular bus route, including accessibility and safety issues, antisocial behaviour and a decrease in work productivity. Amongst many others, some students have shared with me some of their personal stories.

Emma has said:

I take the 825 after school and it is really crowded, even after the first bus and it is almost impossible to get on.

Harry has said:

I used to take the 825 but don’t anymore because it’s like a mosh pit …

Grace has said:

The 825 is way overcrowded and impossible to tap on because it’s way too busy!!!

Lucas has said:

… always have to catch the later ones. Having another or a bigger bus will be great.

Amelia struggles to access the bus due to pushing and shoving. She mentioned that walking home is not a viable option for her, especially after knee surgery, which significantly impacts her study time and ability to complete her homework. Another student, Sofia, stated that people are practically lying on each other due to lack of space, creating an unsafe environment and forcing students to walk further to access alternative transportation options. It is evident to me that the capacity and frequency of buses along this route need to be greatly increased to address this overcrowding issue and ensure greater access, safety and wellbeing for students and other public transport users in my local community. I invite the minister to meet with this group of students as well to hear about their personal experiences and to discuss with them a practical solution to manage overcrowding on the route 825 bus.