Commuters to see travel boost

THE wheels on Casey’s bus services continue to go round and round.
Commuters catching buses in and around the Berwick, Cranbourne and Narre Warren area will be greeted with several new and upgraded services from this week.
Minister for Public Transport Lynne Kosky announced the changes last Monday, saying the improvements were part of a $1.4 billion overhaul of Melbourne’s bus services announced in May 2006. As part of the improvements, Route 840 (Berwick – Narre Warren Circle Service) operated by Cardinia Transit has been replaced with two new routes, one operating in an anti-clockwise direction (new Route 834) and the other operating in a clockwise direction (new Route 835).
Route 841 (Narre Warren North – Cranbourne) will also be upgraded and will now be extended to:
· 6am to 9pm on weekdays;
· 8am to 9pm on Saturdays and public holidays; and
· 9am to 9pm on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday.
“Over the next 10 years, $646 million will be spent improving services on local bus routes across Melbourne,” Ms Kosky said.
“Improvements will be made to more than 200 local bus routes over the next four years, including extra services on weekdays and weekends, new bus routes in developing suburbs as they grow, and more frequent services on priority routes,” she said.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan urged local residents to use the service saying the improvements represented a significant increase in service levels.
“This is a significant boost for people living in Berwick, Narre Warren South, Narre Warren and Narre Warren North, particularly those who might rely on these routes to connect them to the metropolitan rail network,” he said
“While this is obviously great news for people who are unable to rely on cars, it is also provides a viable alternative for people who do drive.
“With petrol prices continuously increasing, commuters are looking for more cost effective transport options,” he said.