Janine Young, the Public Transport Industry Obmudsman, will be conducting an information session at the Seymour Senior Citizens Centre on Thursday 26 April 2012 at 9.30 - 11.00am.

Janine will speak about the role of the Ombudsman, and the services provided by their office.

The information session is open to everyone, and is proudly supported by the Mitchell Shire Access and Inclusion Committee.

For more information on the Public Transport Ombudsman, visit www.ptovic.com.au

The Connecting Mitchell Project has recently worked together with Simon Holloway of Lockyeri to produce a comprehensive evaluation report of Phase 2 of the Project.

Connecting Mitchell is seeking feedback from residents on the trial bus services currently operating between Clonbinane, Wandong and Kilmore on Monday, and between Pyalong, Heathcote and Kilmore on Thursday.     

To date, patronage on both trial services has been disappointingly low.   “Many people have said that the bus services are a good idea but this has not been reflected in passenger numbers”, said Jenny Sitlington, the Connecting Mitchell Project Worker.  “We need to find out what is stopping people from travelling on the buses, what would encourage them to start using the services, or if there’s  another type of transport service that people would prefer”, she said.        

Connecting Mitchell has taken the step of extending the trial period to 31 December 2011 to give more time for residents to become aware of and to try the services.  Changes to the timetables have also been made in response to community comments.  A new link has been added to the Pyalong service enabling residents to travel from Kilmore to Bendigo once a month.   On the first Thursday each month, the Pyalong bus departs Hudson Park at 8.30am, connecting with the Bendigo bus in Pyalong at 9am.  Passengers can return to Kilmore on McIvor Transit departing Bendigo railway station at either 2.30pm or 3.30pm. 

The initial run of the Kilmore-Pyalong link on the 1 September proved to be a great success with the bus having a full complement of passengers. “Everyone who travelled on that day had a great time and we thought that we’d tapped into an unmet need” Jenny said.  “However, since then, passenger numbers have fallen away.  This is discouraging and suggests that there may not be the ongoing demand for the service that we initially thought” she said.

An important addition has also been made to the Clonbinane service.  Passengers using the  service who wish to stay in Kilmore for only a couple of hours, now have the option of returning home in the middle of the day if they advise the driver at the start of their journey.

 With the bus trial period scheduled to end on the 31 December 2011, there is only a short time for there to be a turnaround in passenger numbers.  “If people want the services to continue, then they have to use them or at least let us know how they can be improved.   It’s a case of use it or lose it”, she concluded. 

People can provide feedback by email on info@connectingmitchell.org, by telephone on (03) 5734 6344, in writing (Connecting Mitchell, Mitchell Shire Council, 113 High Street, Broadford 3658) or by visiting Connecting Mitchell ‘s website www.connectingmitchell.org or Facebook page.   Alternatively, residents can fill out the feedback form and drop it in at a Council Customer Service Centre or in the collection boxes at Wandong Post Office, Wandong IGA, Wandong Bakery, Pyalong General Store and Tooborac General Store. 

In response to feedback, the Pyalong/Kilmore service can start in Kilmore on the first Thursday of the month. If you're interested, just contact Wandong Bus and Coach on 5787 1480 or 0409 847 577 to arrange.

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Pyalong, Tooborac, Clonbinane and Waterford Park residents will soon be able to access V/Line trains, shops, library and health services with the introduction of two trial community transport services in August 2011.

Each service will operate one day a week during the trial period. On Monday, a bus service will connect Clonbinane and Waterford Park to Wandong and Kilmore; on Thursday, a second bus service will link Pyalong and Tooborac with Heathcote and Kilmore. Both services are timed to meet V/Line trains enabling passengers to spend half a day in Melbourne. The Thursday bus service will also make it possible for Pyalong and Tooborac residents to travel to Bendigo on the McIvor Transit bus from Heathcote, and for Heathcote residents to travel to Kilmore for medical appointments or other reasons. The services will be available to anyone for a gold coin donation for each single journey during the trial.

The community transport services are the result of a partnership between the Connecting Mitchell project, Wandong Bus and Coach, Comet Tours and Charters, Pyalong Neighbourhood House, Mitchell Community Resources and Advocacy Group and Wandong-Heathcote Junction Community Group. Connecting Mitchell’s Project Worker, Jenny Sitlington, said that the services are being introduced in response to a survey of residents carried out last summer. “From the survey results, it was clear that many people had no way of getting to nearby towns” she said. “A lot of people don’t have access to a car, can’t afford taxis and they live in areas where there is no public transport. Without family or friends to help, there is the risk that they could fail to attend medical appointments, be unable to make essential purchases or miss out on social activities. Trialling the services will give us an indication of the level of community support and provide data that could be used to put in place something more permanent.”

The new bus services have received strong support from local community organisations. “The residents desperately need transport services linking them to some of our closest towns,” said Moira Waye, President of Pyalong Neighbourhood House. “Pyalong’s ageing and widowed residents are in danger of becoming isolated without transportation and there are many young families where only one car is available to meet their needs,” she said.

The Clonbinane/Waterford Park bus service will start on Monday 1 August and the Pyalong/Tooborac service on Thursday 5 August 2011. The services will pick up and drop off at bus stops in each town, at railway stations, Kilmore and District Hospital, medical centres and other venues. Pyalong, Tooborac and Clonbinane passengers with mobility problems who cannot get to a bus stop but who live within a reasonable distance of the route, may have the option of being picked up from home if they notify the bus operator no later than 6pm on the day before they wish to travel.

People can pick up a timetable from local outlets, neighbourhood houses, Council customer service centres, libraries, visitor information centres and the Kilmore and District Hospital. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded from the links below and www.wandong.vic.au.

If you would like to know more about the services, contact Connecting Mitchell on (03) 5734 6344 or call the Project Worker on 0403 860890 or email on jennys@mitchellshire.vic.gov.au.

Travellers Aid is a not for profit organisation which provides vital services to travellers in need, especially travellers with special requirements and those in emergency situations.
Services include; internet access, luggage storage, emergency relief for travellers in crisis, hire of mobility equipment, accessible toilets and showers (with towel hire) personal care and assistance for travellers with special needs and a buggy transport service at Southern Cross Station for passengers who are frail or require additional assistance due to health reasons.

There are three Travellers Aid Centres in Melbourne.

Flinders Street Station Phone (03) 9610 2030
Located on the concourse between platforms 9 & 10.

Southern Cross Station Phone (03) 9670 2072
Located below the Bourke Street bridge opposite the luggage hall.

City Village Phone (03) 9654 2600
Located on Level 3, 225 Bourke Street Melbourne

For more information on how Travellers Aid can assist you with your travel related needs, visit Travellers Aid

Medical Companion
Approximately 50,000 regional Victorians travel to Melbourne each year for medical treatment. Many rely on others to drive or accompany them to Melbourne. When assistance is not available, they risk their health by delaying their appointments or not going at all.

Trained volunteers meet medical travellers and accompany them by public transport to and from their appointment in central Melbourne. They assist people able to travel independently but who are unfamiliar with Melbourne, or feel anxious using public transport alone.

For more information on how the Travellers Aid Medical Companion can assist you with your travel related needs, visit http://www.travellersaid.org.au/our-services/medical-companion or call 1300 700 399 to make a booking.

The Connecting Mitchell project now has the “Inner Melbourne Hospital Map and Guide” available. This handy brochure provides information on public transport routes including train stations, bus and tram stops in Melbourne to provide easy access to any hospital in Melbourne. The brochure, which is produced by the Department of Transport, also contains information on Travellers Aid, access and mobility and ticketing options.

Copies of the publication have been distributed throughout medical centres and train stations within the Mitchell Shire.

Copies are available for download from the Department of Transport website Click here

The Scooter and Wheelchair Travel Pass is a free travel pass for people with a permanent and severe disability who depend on the use of a scooter or a wheelchair for mobility outside their home.

The pass was introduced by the Department of Transport to support independent travel for people who require scooters or wheelchairs to get around.

Free travel is provided on:

• Melbourne metropolitan trains, trams and buses
• V/Line services
• Urban bus services in regional cities
• All Mitchell Transit bus services in Mitchell Shire

The pass is for Victorian residents only and must be applied for through the Metlink Central Pass Office.

For further information, contact the Metlink Central Pass Office on (03) 9619 1159 or visit the website: www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/accessible-transport