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Boroondara tram shuffle plan rejected
James Dowling
01Jul08
OVERCROWDED trams forced operator Yarra Trams to consider cutting peak-hour services on some of Boroondara's busiest routes.
A confidential Yarra Trams document suggested cutting services on route 109 (Box Hill to Port Melbourne via Whitehorse Rd and Kew Junction) and route 24 (Balwyn North to city via Victoria St) to divert trams to busier routes on the network.
However, at the State Government's request, the draft 2007 Forward Capacity Plan was never completed.
Opposition public transport spokesman Terry Mulder obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Mulder said the document was Yarra Tram's "cry for help". "The report was written before recent rises in petrol prices," he said. "It underestimates the problems tram users face because of John Brumby's refusal to invest in new trams."
The document labelled moving services from routes 109 and 24 as "politically sensitive".
Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky's spokesman, Stephen Monynihan, said the document was used to identify pressure points in the network.
He said the document led the State Government to lease five French trams to add capacity to the network. Only one of the French trams has arrived.
Yarra Trams spokeswoman Katie Maynes said the draft plan contained proposals the Government did not agree to.
