Libs, Labor and Greens make their pitch at Box Hill transport forum

CLOSE to 100 voters got the state election sales pitch on public transport, as candidates treated the Box Hill Town Hall public transport forum as though they were on the hustings.

The forum was open to all at Box Hill Town Hall.

CLOSE to 100 voters got the state election sales pitch on public transport, as candidates treated the Box Hill Town Hall public transport forum as though they were on the hustings.

An informed crowd heard each major party’s stance — Box Hill Liberal MP Robert Clark, Greens Eastern Metropolitan MP Samantha Dunn and Labor candidate for Box Hill Paul Hamer were the speakers — before they hit them with questions.

Road traffic, the bus network, the North East Link, the congested Lilydale and Belgrave train lines and Box Hill Interchange were the central dilemmas driving discussion.

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Mr Hamer said the Andrews Government’s proposed Suburban Rail Loop, announced just days earlier, would fix a lot of the east’s congestion issues.

He also spoke of the Government’s work to create a Box Hill interchange Steering Committee.

Mr Clark slammed Labor’s plans for the new underground trainline as “irresponsible” and financially unfeasible.

The forum was open to all at Box Hill Town Hall.

“It is one of the most irresponsible approaches to public policy that I have ever encountered,” said Mr Clark.

He said removing the level-crossings on Union Rd in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Rd in Mont Albert North was a priority for him.

Mr Clark said the timetable and routes for the bus network in Melbourne’s east was in need of revision.

Ms Dunn spoke against all road projects, particularly the North East Link, saying public transport was the only solution to road congestion.

She said the Box Hill interchange needed to be redeveloped to improve the public transport options and a move to high-capacity signalling for trains and more buses were required.

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She also dropped a teaser about her parties plans for 11 rapid bus routes, with more to come before the election.

The candidates were on message — as they would want to be just two months out from an election — but whether any of them swayed any swinging voters is yet to be seen.

What is adamant though, is that voters and the parties realise there is no simple fix to the growing mess that is public transport in the eastern suburbs.