The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is a community-based public transport lobby group in Victoria, Australia, based in Melbourne. It is run entirely by volunteers and has no full-time staff.

History and aims

The organisation was founded in 1976 as the Train Travellers Association, and became prominent after the controversial Lonie Report recommended huge freeway expansion and closure of most public passenger transport in the city.

The Association advocates a greater role for public transport and less dependence on the private car. Key PTUA policies include:

  • A publicly accountable authority to provide co-ordinated planning and management of train, tram and bus services,
  • The favouring of sustainable transport modes over cars, through appropriate urban planning decisions, and taxation and transport project resource allocations,
  • Opposition to major road expansion such as the building of new freeways,
  • More frequent public transport services, longer operating hours and better connections between modes,
  • Expansion of the train, tram, and bus networks,
  • More staffing at stations and on trains/trams,
  • Fares that ensure public transport is competitive with car travel.

Of particular interest to the Association are potential extensions to Melbourne's metropolitan rail network, particularly lines to Doncaster, Rowville (via Monash University's Clayton Campus) and Melbourne Airport, a reorganisation of the bus network, including more routes being upgraded to SmartBus status,[1] and filling in so-called tram "missing links", by the construction of extensions to the tram network that will ensure that routes terminate at nearby railway stations, bus routes and activity centres.[2]

Achievements

The PTUA successfully campaigned for extended New Year's Day public transport hours in 2004,[3] and that has been continued by the state government in subsequent years. They also successfully lobbied for the extension of the 109 tram to Box Hill in Melbourne's east.[4]The association successfully pushed against the contentious idea to prohibit bikes on trains during rush hour in 2008, garnering substantial media attention.[5] The Association maintains a high media profile, publishes a regular newsletter for members, operates an office in Melbourne, and has branches in Geelong[6] and Ballarat.[7]

The current president is Tony Morton, who succeeded Daniel Bowen in October 2012.

References

  1. ↑ "Policies: Extending the network". Public Transport Users Association. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  2. ↑ Carey, Adam (6 March 2013). "Lobby urges tram extensions to avoid dead-end trips". The Age. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  3. ↑ How Melbourne got all-night NYE public transport Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine YouTube video 03:23 in length
  4. ↑ "PTUA Achievements". Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "BICYCLES TO BE BANNED FROM PEAK HOUR TRAINS". Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "Geelong Branch". Public Transport Users Association. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  7. ↑ "PTUA Ballarat Branch". Public Transport Users Association. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2016.


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