The Victorian Public Transport Minister could take "a job as a scriptwriter for Utopia" after describing train delays as good news, says Euroa MP Steph Ryan.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government last week announced extra trains for services in Melbourne and Geelong, with Minister Melissa Horne saying it would give commuters more options.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Ms Ryan said 93 services would actually be slower as a result of the timetable changes and only 15 services were going to be faster.
"We have slower trains at the conclusion of billions of dollars worth of investment," she said.
"I think the minister should consider perhaps taking up a job as a scriptwriter for Utopia, because she provided them with some pretty fantastic material out of that.
"I mean, to describe slower train services as good news-it was a complete embarrassment for the government."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Ms Ryan was warned about her interjections in Parliament again on Thursday when she questioned Ms Horne about how many V/Line trains would run slower on the new timetable.
After interrupting the minister several times when the question was not answered quickly, Ms Ryan said the answer was 276 slower services.
Premier Daniel Andrews said Ms Horne was answering the question about train timetables despite the opposition's "deliberate bullyboy tactic" of interrupting to complain to the speaker.
The government's Transport Legislation Amendment Bill will change some of the branding and roles of Vic Roads and Public Transport Victoria, but Ms Ryan said it did nothing to improve V/Line services, which had a punctuality rate of less than 50 per cent on the North East line.
"We have had very little done about the state's long-haul rolling stock, which breaks down day after day after day because the trains are so old," she said.
"If people in the city had to live with that kind of service, there would be an absolute revolt, but under this government if it is out of sight, it is out of mind, so nothing happens.
"We just keep being strung along with platitudes all the time - 'don't worry, you'll get rolling stock eventually on the North East line, we're getting around to it'.
"I have been hearing that for five years now, and nothing changes."
