Transport

By Tania Martin
MOUNT Evelyn residents and traders have stepped up a campaign to make public transport a key State Government election issue in the lead up to the polls.
The idea for the campaign was discussed at a meeting earlier this year.
The first step was to make sure bus and train timetables would be available for commuters.
The timetables are now available at the Mount Evelyn Post Office, the newsagent, Morrison House and the community link at the town’s library.
Campaign spokeswoman Trish Bellerby said more needed to be done to get cars off the roads.
She said it wasn’t just about local transport infrastructure but right across the state it needed the government’s attention.
Ms Bellerby said the campaign was now gaining momentum with posters and car bumper stickers calling for public transport to be made an election issue now being distributed across the state.
She said more than 45 businesses in the Mount Evelyn district had already agreed to stock the stickers.
Ms Bellerby said the aim was to have more than 1.5 million bumper stickers on cars across the state.
She said public transport was vital for many people to able to get around.
Ms Bellerby said better bus and train linkages were needed.
“We need the government to give a greater slice of the budget pie to transport,” she said.
Stickers are now available at a number of locations across Mount Evelyn including Morrison House, the Cog Bike Café, the Cake Connection, Mount Evelyn Pharmacy and Pipsqueakz.
The stickers cost 20 cents each.