A local MP is set to push for a revamp of Greater Shepparton’s bus services.
This week in Victorian parliament, state Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe will press Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll to initiate a thorough bus review in the region.
Ms O’Keeffe recently met with Greg Fitzsimmons and Roy Dyson of the Dyson Group of Companies, which provides Shepparton bus services, to discuss the local network.
“Over the past 14 years, no comprehensive review of bus services in Shepparton has taken place,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
“Services on Saturday are limited, with no services provided on Sunday. There’s only one bus serving the Shepparton V/Line train station hourly, which doesn’t align with the V/Line timetable.”
Ms O’Keeffe emphasised the importance of public transport for various groups, including the elderly and young, for whom driving may not be an option.
“With the rising cost of living and people struggling to pay for fuel, insurance, parking, and car registration, public transport should be a viable option,” she said.
“Dysons and the community have called for this review for several years now, and our towns continue to grow.
“When the bus plan was released in 2021, Minister Carroll said this plan would include the regions, and stated that Labor was committed to delivering a bus network that better meets public transport needs and demand.
“I call on the minister to ensure that happens.”