In November 2021 Mr McCurdy conducted a survey which he tabled with the Education Minister and Transport Minister.
Mr McCurdy said the survey results showed 95% of participants voted ‘yes’ supporting a new bus route for Yarrawonga students, with only 5% voting ‘no’.
“We received a basic response from the Minister of Public Transport in March saying he was going to pass it on to the department to explore options but we are still waiting on more to happen,” Mr McCurdy said.
“We are getting desperate. Yarrawonga is growing, the problem of not having enough school buses is not going away.
“Children need the chance to get to school safely. Plain and simple this is a safety issue.
“The key thing is, every other town in the region has it so why not Yarrawonga?
“We have been pushing this issue for a while now, so why has no more been done about it?
“We are even just asking for a pilot program, see how the service is received and if it does not do as well as it is hoped, then we will go back to the drawing board.
“This new service would not only reduce car congestion at Yarrawonga schools and ease the burden on parents at school pick up times, but also cater for residents living in newly developed estates.
“We are wanting something to be done about this issue and will not stop speaking up until the minister gets back to us and something is done.”
Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll MP said in a response to Mr McCurdy in March this year that the issue would be passed onto the Department of Transport for further investigation.
“I understand the community’s concerns about carpark congestion at school drop off and pickup times, along with access to public transport for the school students living in town,” Mr Carroll said.
“The Victorian Government is working hard to improve transport services and meet the travel needs of people living in regional and rural communities.
“In response to your concerns I have asked for Department of Transport to explore options to improve bus connections for students in Yarrawonga including the feasibility of a school town bus service as part of the future bus network planning.”
Silverwoods resident and concerned mother Megan Norrish has become so infuriated by the situation, she has even appealed to the Victorian Government for a response on what needs to be done to ensure another bus service.
“I wrote to Daniel Andrews recently and he said to be eligible for a bus service, the residential area has to be 4.8km away from the centre of town. Hogan’s Road is not even that distance, but they still have a bus,” Ms Norrish said.
“We don’t have any other options. Today (last Monday) is the perfect example, when it rains the parents have to leave work to pick up the kids and take them home.
“The government want us to go back to work but are not providing options for our kids.
“Personally, in my case, I work full time in Cobram, so I have to be out of the house by 6.30am. The kids either need to ride their bikes or get a bus.
“When they are crossing at Leah and Derry Drive in particular, with the big shrubbery along the walking paths, it can be dangerous for them to see oncoming traffic.
“There is enough interest in a bus. Even if we have to pay a small fee we will. A local bus company is for it, but everything has to be passed through the department of transport.
“At least 15 kids in Silverwoods would use the service and at least another 10 or more at the west end of the other estate. There are enough students to essentially fill another bus.
“If we were able to get a service there would be others that would use it. A number of children that live down Jane Road and Anchorage Way for example.
“We are not going to give up.”
