Thursday, 5 February 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:52): My constituency question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. Will the minister review the bus service in Gisborne and consider using smaller buses more suited to the town? I was recently contacted by a constituent in Gisborne who expressed concerns, shared by many others, that the buses in the Gisborne area are not fit for purpose. Gisborne used to have minibuses that were suitable for the volume of patronage and narrower streets in the town, but last year they were changed to much larger buses, which have lower floors for improved accessibility but face new problems. When larger buses make stops they visibly block the street, and they often struggle to keep within the lanes in narrow streets. At the Aitken Street and Willowbank Road roundabout the buses cannot go around the roundabout so they drive over the top of it, forcing other vehicles to stop and wait. The minister must review the use of larger buses in Gisborne and consider replacing them with the smaller buses used on FlexiRide routes in Melton and other western suburbs.