The Allan Labor Government is rolling out new bus services across Melbourne’s outer suburbs for the school year – supporting the surging number of students in growth corridors.
Minister for Public and Active Public Transport Gabrielle Williams announced the new services are funded by a $25 million investment from the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to introduce, modify and extend school bus services across the state.
Beginning from term one, new morning and afternoon services will be introduced to students from South Werribee and Wyndham Vale attending Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College in Werribee – another new school in the area opening its doors in 2024.
The extra services are part of a wider update of Wyndham’s school bus network which includes changes to bus routes servicing the existing Werribee Secondary College and MacKillop College that focus on reducing duplication and focusing resources where demand is highest.
The review sees seven school services combined into four new and more efficient services that combine sections of the previous routes in the growing catchment areas. Seven other services will remain unchanged.
Bemin and Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary Colleges are the latest schools to benefit from new services under a $25 million investment announced in the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to introduce, modify and extend school bus services across the state.
In the last school year, 15 Victorian schools got new services under the program which is initially targeting recently opened schools in growth areas where student demand is high and school bus services can be introduced, expanded or rerouted to take in new locations.
Greenvale Secondary College, Springside West Secondary College in Aintree and Bemin Secondary College in Truganina have also received new school bus services at the start of term one – with more services to be rolled out later in the year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams
“We are delivering more school bus services to strengthen our public transport network and to make sure our students get to school on time.”
“Through Victoria's Bus Plan we’re delivering a modern bus network that encourages more people to take the bus.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Laverton Sarah Connolly
“People in Melbourne’s west of all ages love their buses and rely on the bus network to get them where they need to go. The announcement today will make a world of difference for working families by giving their kids a reliable way to get to and from school, whether it’s at Bemin Secondary College or elsewhere.”
“These six new school bus services are the next step in improving Wyndham’s bus network, where we need more buses more often in new and developing estates.”
