Public transport across the city is set for an upgrade after the State Government announced the region would receive more buses with extended timetables of vehicles in service.
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Nationals candidate for Wagga, Mackenna Powell, said the plans included more than 100 additional weekly services. Eighty of these will be specifically for the housing development in Lloyd, and Charles Sturt University would also have access to 20 additional services each week.
“These new bus trips are all about making life easier for the people of Wagga, by giving them access to affordable, reliable services and more of them,” Ms Powell said.
The $36 million investment will help people with everything from healthcare to running errands, according to Ms Powell.
“The changes will include longer timetable hours, providing better access to health and education facilities and improved weekend services," she said.
According to the government, detailed network reviews had been done meaning the transport plans were ready to roll out, with expected introduction by the end of 2019.
With the state election nearing, concerns have been raised over the transport plans being followed through should The Nationals not get re-elected.
Independent member for Wagga, Joe McGirr, said public transport should be on everyone's radar.
"Public transport is an important priority for the city and there are several reasons for that," he said.
"It is a part of the solution to parking issues around the city and if we have better bus routes, hopefully we can take some of the traffic out of the city centre."
Country Labor candidate for Wagga Dan Hayes said the solution did not lie in bus quantity, but instead on timing.
"The key factor in public transport is looking at the bus routes, not necessarily the amount of buses," he said.
"At the moment, buses act as a door to door approach, so they may take an hour to get where a car can in ten minutes, meaning the attractiveness of getting people out of the cars and into buses isn’t there.
"It needs to be competitive in time and in cost, routes and how we promote them."
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