Residents demand better public transport for Parkville Gardens

A political push for better public transport in Parkville Gardens is underway as residents grow tired of long waits and poor connections to railway stations and shopping areas.

In the Victorian Parliament in March, Member for Brunswick, Dr Tim Read, said despite a boom in apartments being built and people moving into the former Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village, nothing was being done to address inadequate public transport services.

“The only route out is through narrow Manningham St towards the city and the 505 Parkville Gardens bus runs once per hour with one additional service at each peak hour,” he said.

“That bus, after leaving Parkville Gardens runs past CSL, the second biggest flu vaccine manufacturer in the world with over 1500 employees.”

“So, my question to the Minister for Public Transport is, when will this area get decent public transport, and specifically, when can we expect to see more buses running on that route?”

Parkville Gardens resident Joshua Parke said many locals living there, including students and elderly people, were frustrated by the inadequate linkages between buses and trains.

“For this same reason it would be good if one of the bus routes also went past Union Square and Barkley Square Shopping Centres at differing times,” he said.

“Parkville Gardens is the perfect combination of city and suburban living. However, the limitation is that we are at least two to three kilometres away from amenities.”

“This distance is difficult to navigate in inclement weather and impossible for those with a disability, the elderly and infirm.”

North West City News asked the Department of Transport whether one bus each hour was adequate and whether it would consider changing bus services to help improve bus train links and the overall route for the elderly and disabled at Parkville Gardens.

In response, a department spokesperson said it was continuously reviewing the bus network to make sure it met passengers’ needs and was improving connections to trains and trams.

“We welcome the communities (sic) input in shaping their public transport, and we’re working to make their journeys safer, more accessible and better connected,” the spokesperson said. 

Route 505 is a bus service which currently services an area between Moonee Ponds, a major activity centre with a wide range of retail and medical services, and other tram and bus routes as well as the University of Melbourne. Other destinations can be reached from the university, the Moonee Ponds tram and bus interchange and Royal Park Station•