New PTV timetable leaves Leongatha passengers trapped in a time warp
Changes to the Leongatha to Wonthaggi bus timetable have angered South Gippsland and Bass Coast residents who are reporting missed connections, longer travel times and reduced access to key services such as medical appointments.
LEONGATHA residents are voicing their deep frustration over recent Public Transport Victoria (PTV) bus timetable changes, which have drastically cut the time passengers can spend in Wonthaggi.
The scheduling shift has sparked widespread concern among community members who rely heavily on the regional transit network for essential services, medical care, and social connection.
For years the morning service allowed passengers to manage their day effectively.
Under the previous schedule the bus departed Leongatha at 10.45am and arrived in Wonthaggi at 11.30am. The return journey departed Wonthaggi at 1.35pm, arriving back in Leongatha at 2.15pm.
The previous timeframe gave commuters a reliable two-hour window in Wonthaggi. This was critical for those attending vital health appointments, including visits to the skin cancer clinic, optometry assessments and hearing tests.
However, the newly implemented timetable has severely disrupted this routine. The bus now departs Leongatha more than an hour later at 11.52am, arriving in Wonthaggi at 12.33pm. Because the return departure remains fixed at 1.35pm, passengers are left with little more than 60 minutes on the ground.
Regular passenger Barry Phillips has hit out at the changes, labelling the current system as unsustainable for regional commuters. “We’ve lost an hour,” Mr Phillips said.
“You can’t do much in an hour, particularly if you’re wanting to see a doctor or catch up with friends,” said Mr Phillips pointing out the irony that passengers now spend more time traveling on the bus than they do at their destination. Because there is no later return service operating from Wonthaggi back to Leongatha, commuters are forced to rush through their errands or find alternative transport.
“It’s not good enough,” Mr Phillips said. The reduced hours have already impacted his daily life. To accommodate his necessary appointments Mr Phillips now relies on a friend to drive him to Wonthaggi earlier enough to catch the 1.30pm bus back home.
Mr Phillips is calling on PTV to either restore the original morning departure time or introduce a later afternoon service out of Wonthaggi to accommodate passengers. Frustrated by the lack of local options, Mr Phillips sought political help, though he faced bureaucratic hurdles.
Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale MP referred the complaint to the Labor MP for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh as Mr Phillips appeared to reside in Leongatha which sits outside the Bass electorate despite the timetable change giving Leongatha commuters less time to shop or conduct business in Wonthaggi.
“I too am passionate about our public transport and have been advocating for many years for increased services, timetabling and connectivity that better-align with how we move about in our local areas,” said Ms Crugnale.
“There have been some great improvements, but still a lot more work to do,” she added.
The issue gained a little more traction when The Nationals MP for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, escalated the community's concerns over the recently overhauled Leongatha to Wonthaggi bus timetable directly to state parliament.
Ms Bath said South Gippsland and Bass Coast residents are reporting missed connections, longer travel times and reduced access to key services. “It is unacceptable basic community consultation on the bus timetable change was not undertaken and has led to adverse impacts on Leongatha and Wonthaggi residents.
“Regional commuters already have extremely limited access to public transport, the government’s changes diminish it further. It is imperative that any changes to bus services reflect the needs of the community, ensuring regional residents have workable public transport,” Ms Bath stated.
Calling on Labor’s Minister for Public and Active Transport to immediately undertake a review and ensure the bus service suits the needs of locals Ms Bath said with long travel times and vast distances from essential services and work, regional Victorians deserve a reliable and accessible public transport system.
“The poorly thought-out changes expose Labor’s failure to address barriers faced by regional Victorians. The Allan Government has a responsibility to review and adjust the bus timetable so local access to essential services is enhanced and not shortchanged,” said Ms Bath.”
Despite this political intervention however no formal resolution or timetable adjustment has been made. While low passenger numbers are often cited as a reason for limited regional services, Barry Phillips believes PTV is looking at the problem backwards.
He argued that better scheduling would actually drive up passenger numbers, especially given current economic pressures. “If they say there’s not enough people using the bus, if you had extra time in Wonthaggi and with the cost of living, more people would use it,” Mr Phillips stated.
In response to the growing complaints, PTV has reached out to Mr Phillips, stating that they treat regional scheduling matters very seriously and that the current Leongatha to Wonthaggi timetable is under review. For now, local residents remain stranded by a system that leaves them with plenty of travel time, but almost no time to spare.
