Mayor won’t be silenced on transport

By Ed Merrison
KNOX City Council has defended its right to lobby political parties for improved public transport.
Ferntree Gully MP Anne Eckstein criticised the council last week for stepping into in the debate, which she said was a State Government matter.
But Knox mayor David Cooper said the council was acting on a unanimous belief there is a “dramatic lack of train and tram infrastructure in Knox”. He said it was “ludicrous” that the Vermont South tram did not reach Knox City.
Cr Cooper visited the end of the line with councillors Adam Gill and Joe Cossari last Thursday to call for it to be extended.
Speaking to the Mail, Cr Cooper also argued for improvements to bus services and the Belgrave train line, the abolishment of Metcard Zone 3 and the construction of a train line to Rowville.
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) added its voice to the debate, calling on all political parties to back the push for the Rowville rail line.
The Liberal Party has pledged $100,000 towards a feasibility study for the line and promised to fund the entire study should they gain power in November.
The study was a Labor election promise in 1999, but was left out of the State Government’s transport liveability statement released in May.