Frankston bus space ‘shemozzle’

The Young Street improvements project in Frankston has been labelled an “absolute shemozzle” by State Liberal MP Neale Burgess, who addressed Parliament on Thursday 16 November criticising transport projects started by the Andrews government.

There are no plans to widen road lanes for two-way traffic along Young St despite concerns there is not enough space for buses to pass parked vehicles without clipping side mirrors.

Paths have been widened for pedestrians. Transport for Victoria says the width of traffic lanes on Young St are 3 metres wide at the south end and 3.2 metres wide at the north end of the street.

“The Young St redevelopment has been constructed according to all relevant guidelines and regulations, but on-street testing has demonstrated that further work needs to be undertaken to allow for all bus services to operate from the interchange,” Transport for Victoria spokesman Adrian Darwent said.

“Buses [in Young St] … do not fit. From start to finish the total incompetence of this government and its local member were on show for all to see,” Mr Burgess said in Parliament.

“It is not as if these buses got fat overnight. The width of the buses was 255 centimetres before the project began and they were 255 centimetres when it ended. That is not a surprise. The roadway is 275 centimetres wide, leaving buses with just 10 centimetres on each side.”

“VicRoads has had to employ a full-time traffic warden just to try and get the buses down the street.”

The Department of Transport confirmed turning circles are “a bit tight” when some buses enter new bus bays along Young St and modifications will follow.

“We’re getting on with finishing this important project to reinvigorate the area around Frankston station, which opened to traffic and pedestrians at the end of October,” Mr Darwent said.