Public Transport Users Association
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ptua.org.au
Public Transport Users Association
@ptua.org.au
2.3K followers 6 following 340 posts
Volunteer run not-for-profit advocating for better public transport in Victoria, Australia. We are NOT PTV. Visit ptua.org.au to join for as little as $50 a year and help us help you!
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ptua.org.au
Many trams don't yet have air con, but are slowly being upgraded/replaced.
Buses and trains do, but extreme heat can still cause disruptions.
How's the temperature on your public transport service today? Any delays due to heat?🥵
Passenger with a portable fan on a bus V/Line: Full extreme heat timetable operating across the V/Line network on Wednesday 7 January 2026
January 7, 2026 at 12:09 AM
ptua.org.au
More frequent services all day every day would get a lot more people onto public transport and out of the traffic. Big improvements are possible without a huge investment in bigger fleets and more track. #Melbourne #PublicTransport
January 6, 2026 at 8:54 AM
ptua.org.au
Even on the non-free weekends, many V/Line services are increasingly overcrowded. Short 3 car trains don't cut it anymore on the busy lines.
It's great to see more people catching trains, but more services and capacity are needed to keep up with demand.
Passengers crowd around a V/Line train
January 3, 2026 at 4:07 AM
ptua.org.au
Our fares are cheap for long distance journeys, but for short distances, the most expensive in Australia. The State Government should bring back a cheaper short distance fare to ensure public transport is affordable, and cheaper than driving.

Ch9 story: youtu.be/uCQCaO26Em8...
Chart showing Melbourne short distance fares up to $5.70, Sydney $4.33, Brisbane $0.50, Adelaide $4.55, Perth $3.50, Hobart $1.36, Canberra $3.32
January 2, 2026 at 9:46 AM
ptua.org.au
🎇🎉🚌More than 50 bus routes are running extra services for New Years Eve... but they've had almost no official promotion. Special thanks to the Bus and Coach Society of Victoria for finding out which routes.
(Extra trains and trams are also running.)
New Years Eve Extra Bus Services - Not promoted by Transport Victoria West: Extra services on routes 150, 170, 180, 182, 190, 402, 404, 406, 410, 420, 428, 444, 454, 457, 458, 459, 460, 471, 472 North: Extra services on routes 246, 250, 251, 357, 386, 388, 390, 472, 570 South East: Extra services on routes 246, 604, 605, 630, 703, 733, 781, 782, 788, 833 East: Extra services on routes 207, 670, 693, 703, 733, 737, 900, 905, 907, 908 Geelong: Extra services on routes 1, 10, 12, 30, 31, 42, 53, 55, 60
December 30, 2025 at 2:57 AM
ptua.org.au
Most of Melbourne's trams are far slower than in other cities, thanks to a lack of traffic priority.
Faster PT = more people using PT = more people out of the traffic.

Map by Reddit user AB014A www.reddit.com/r/Mel...
Map showing Melbourne tram speeds, calculated from GTFS data by /u/AB014A
December 29, 2025 at 9:34 AM
ptua.org.au
60 minute delays on your journey are no fun - bus passengers know this! Government investment in more frequent public transport services would get more people on board and out of the traffic.
Image of Westgate bridge works delay sign: "60 minute delay”, and hourly bus timetables
December 27, 2025 at 10:35 PM
ptua.org.au
A weekend of packed shops... and packed buses, many running only hourly.
Meanwhile scores of buses that could cut waiting times and add capacity sit idle in depots, doing nothing.😠
Boxing Day sale crowds at Chadstone boarding a bus / Buses in a depot
December 27, 2025 at 7:20 AM
ptua.org.au
It's great to see more people than ever are catching V/Line. Services and capacity need to be boosted to keep up with demand!
Long public transport trips are now a go-to for holiday homecomings
Budget-conscious travellers are turning to long-haul trips on public transport to get home for Christmas, but overcrowding and delays in the regions can cause headaches.
www.abc.net.au
December 25, 2025 at 10:25 PM
ptua.org.au
Seasons greetings! May your public transport be frequent, fast, uncrowded, on time, affordable, convenient, and accessible to all! 🚉🚌🚋🎄
Train, tram bus, and Christmas bells
December 24, 2025 at 8:56 AM
ptua.org.au
As this Age Explainer article details, all cities have traffic congestion. But better public transport (and walking and cycling) helps people avoid it.
Read more: archive.md/Brgk4
A train with a capacity of 1000+ people passes cars with a capacity of a few dozen people The Age: A 2023 discussion paper from the Public Transport Users Association of Victoria, meanwhile, looked again at the problem of roads always filling to capacity. “If people shift from cars to public transport, the effect is the same as from building a new road: it frees up road capacity, so people respond by driving more. So to a large extent, the traffic shifted to public transport will just be replaced by new traffic.” It is theoretically possible, they say, “for public transport improvements to reduce road congestion, but it requires quite special conditions – in particular, a political willingness to continue investing in more public transport expansion as patronage grows, and not to be tempted to add lots of new road capacity at the same time”. Bottom line, as the PTUA’s Daniel Bowen told us: “High-quality public transport may not completely remove traffic, but it helps most people avoid it while still getting to where they need to be.”
December 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
ptua.org.au
🚆Happy anniversary to the VLocity trains - the first one went into service twenty years ago today, 22nd December 2025. They've been good, but the design dates back to the 1990s... isn't it time for a newer, improved train design for regional #Victoria?

[Video repost]
December 22, 2025 at 9:46 AM
ptua.org.au
Fares are rising again. Not unexpected, but a reminder that for short distances, public transport is expensive: $5.70 for a short trip in Zone 1 from 1st Jan. Vic govt should reintroduce a short trip fare to keep PT costs competitive with driving.
Watch: youtu.be/PFuPwGYem4E...
TV news report about public transport fares increasing
December 22, 2025 at 3:01 AM
ptua.org.au
Weekend - busiest shopping days - and plenty of people want to travel - but many buses are half as frequent as on weekdays, or not even running at all.😠
Images of crowded bus stops and buses, a timetable showing no service on Sundays, and a full carpark
December 20, 2025 at 1:20 AM
ptua.org.au
These proposals from Infrastructure Victoria to extend tram lines make a lot of sense. They'd make Melbourne's trams more useful for more people by better connecting to railway stations and other suburban destinations.
How about it, Vic govt?
December 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
ptua.org.au
Good to see Vic govt find a commonsense position on this important issue. E bikes and scooters, when used safely, have huge potential to help people connect to public transport, for example in areas where bus services feeding into stations are inadequate.
Converted and modified electric bikes will not be allowed on trains from December 21, in a bid to reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires on public transport.
Another state moves to ban modified e-bikes from trains
www.9news.com.au
December 16, 2025 at 12:35 AM
ptua.org.au
Sunday morning trains in #Melbourne are the least frequent in Australia. Long waiting times mean connections are difficult and make public transport less attractive than driving. More trains = less traffic.
Median frequencies Sundays 7am-10am. Sydney 15 mins, Perth 15 mins, Brisbane 30 mins, Adelaide 30 mins, Melbourne 35 mins. Adelaide image by Billy Evans via Wikipedia. Perth image by xiquinhosilva/Georgfotoart via Wikipedia
December 13, 2025 at 10:06 PM
ptua.org.au
We've raised the issue of tram accessibility at the Showgrounds in the past - so it's great to see the State Government has finally built a tram platform stop adjacent to the main entrance - and low-floor trams are coming soon. Lots more needed, but this is progress!
Stills from a PTUA video highlighting poor tram access at the Showgrounds State Government press release: Next Stop, More Accessible Melbourne Showgrounds, 10 December 2025. The Allan Labor Government is improving access to major events at the Melbourne Showgrounds, with the delivery of a new level-access tram stop right at its entrance – making travel safer, easier and more inclusive for all passengers.
December 11, 2025 at 9:28 AM
ptua.org.au
A recent news report on possible fare changes once Myki upgrades are completed.
Top priorities should be short distance fares and automatic weekly caps, to help encourage more people onto public transport.
Myki card and a new card reader Herald Sun story: Fares system shake-up
December 9, 2025 at 6:32 AM
ptua.org.au
Great to see upgraded bus services in Melbourne's outer western suburbs starting today. More public transport services and higher frequencies mean more transport options, helping get more people out of the traffic.👍🚌

Details: transport.vic.gov.au...
A bus
December 6, 2025 at 11:23 PM
ptua.org.au
This is a good move: Planning rules will no longer demand that everybody pays for parking at home that they don't need or use.
Better walking, cycling and public transport is also needed to help more people get around without having to drive.
Victoria Scraps ‘Outdated’ Car Space Rules for New Projects
Rules that cost developers $70,000 per home have been scrapped as the government eases parking requirements near public transport…
www.theurbandeveloper.com
December 4, 2025 at 10:09 PM
ptua.org.au
In preparation for new low floor trams, the State Government is proposing to replace non-accessible tram stops on route 57 with... new bigger non-accessible tram stops.😲😕😠
engage.vic.gov.au/ro...
Diagram from the Engage Victoria web site showing Errol Street, with safety zone tram stops removed and replaced by new safety zone tram stops.
December 3, 2025 at 10:57 AM
ptua.org.au
Using V/Line on the weekend during the free summer period? Some long-distance services are booking out well over a week in advance. It's a reminder that patronage has been growing fast, and more trains and more capacity are needed.
V/Line web site showing the 8:06am train (on Saturday 13th December) has zero tickets available.
December 2, 2025 at 8:42 PM
ptua.org.au
Great to see the #Melbourne Metro Tunnel open - can't wait for the full timetable!
November 30, 2025 at 9:22 AM
ptua.org.au
Happy Metro Tunnel Opening Day for all those who celebrate! 🚇🥳
Better, reliable, accessible, fast, frequent, connected public transport opens up access to opportunity, and gets more people off the roads and out of the traffic. #Melbourne #MetroTunnel
A train showing "via Metro Tunnel" on the front display
November 29, 2025 at 9:21 PM