By Charlene Gatt
STAFF and students at Yarraville Community Centre have been left fuming after timetable changes to the 409 bus, which has been cut from a 20 minute service to a 40 minute service.
The State Government changed the service, which runs between Highpoint Shopping Centre and Yarraville train station, in late March this year, causing chaos from public transport users.
The bus stops at Francis St near the Yarraville Community Centre.
Yarraville Community Centre provides a range of education programs, including English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, to migrants and other members of the community.
“The Department of Transport doesn’t know what one hand is doing with the other,” Greens MLC Colleen Hartland said.
ESL student Pierina Pilpolizella said many students rely on public transport to attend classes.
“People have to wait 40 minutes and it’s not right, especially when it’s raining,” she said.
“That is not fair.”
Staff and students protested the change last Wednesday, holding a sign reading ‘bus 409 every 20 minutes’ and chanting “we want the bus every 20 minutes”.
A spokesperson from Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said the service frequency on the 409 bus was slashed from 40 minutes to 20 minutes in 2008, but reverted back to the 40 minute service because of low patronage numbers.
“The Department of Transport monitored patronage but despite a push to increase patronage, passenger numbers remained low,” the spokesperson said.
“The resources have now been transferred to put more services on other routes with higher demands.”
Cr Martin Zakharov said Maribyrnong City Council was working with the Department of Transport to rectify the situation.
