Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the bus terminal upgrade had been completed by the City of Whittlesea after a Brumby Government funding boost.

“Buses can sometimes be the forgotten transport mode because of the higher use of our train and trams, but that is changing. Improved and new local bus services in Melbourne’s north are carrying more and more passengers every day,” Ms Kosky said.

“It is especially pleasing to see that patronage on weekend bus services is also increasing.”

Ms Kosky today visited the redeveloped Cooper Street bus terminal as part of the Brumby Government’s Hume and Whittlesea Community Cabinet to inspect 11 new bus bays and 11 new bus shelters.

“We have more than tripled the number of bus bays on Cooper St – from three to 11 – and we have installed 11 brand new bus shelters for passengers comfort and convenience,” she said.

“The expanded number of bus bays means buses no longer need to queue along Cooper Street, relieving traffic congestion and making bus services safer and more accessible for passengers who rely on buses to get to and from work and school, and to shop and use other local services.”

Ms Kosky said the Route 571 TrainLink bus service, which connects South Morang residents to Epping Station and city-bound train services, have benefited greatly from the bus terminal upgrade.

“Patronage on Route 571 TrainLink bus service has grown 21 per cent in the past 12 months, which demonstrates how South Morang residents have embraced this bus service as a commuting option.

“South Morang residents are also using the TrainLink bus service on weekends, with 43 per cent more validations on Saturdays and 24 per cent more validations on Sundays compared to the previous year.”

“In the recent State Budget, our Government committed $10.4 million to design works for the proposed South Morang to Keon Park rail extension. However, it is important that we improve transport links for this growing corridor in the immediate term,” Ms Kosky said.

Ms Kosky said recent bus upgrades in Hume, particularly those in the growing Craigieburn community, had also experienced significant passenger increases.

“We introduced two new Craigieburn bus routes – 528 and 529 – to service the growing Craigieburn community, following completion of the Hume/Moreland bus review earlier this year,” Ms Kosky said.

“We also altered bus Route 533 (Craigieburn North-Craigieburn South) to provide increased access for residents in Craigieburn.

“All three bus services connect with the new Craigieburn rail line, allowing more people to travel to and from the City. These three bus routes, as well as the two other Craigieburn routes – 532 and 544 – now run until 9pm seven days a week.

“Weekday patronage for bus routes 528, 529 and 533 has grown 25 per cent over the past 12 months, which shows the improved access to bus services is making a real difference to Craigieburn residents.

“Weekend growth has been even more impressive, with Saturday average patronage increasing by 54 per cent and Sunday by 112 per cent.”

In a further boost to local bus services, a total of 24 new bus shelters – six in Hume and 18 in Whittlesea – have been installed by the Brumby Government since July 2007.

“This is part of the program to install 400 shelters across 16 local government areas in Melbourne over two years,” Ms Kosky said.