News - Media Releases

There has been an overwhelming rejection of the Brumby Governments plans for the narrowing of Centre Dandenong Road for the installation of a dedicated full time bus lane.

With Centre Dandenong Road bus lane surveys being returned this week from the Dingley Village community, a massive 99.5% of households have rejected the Brumby Governments plans.

Inga Peulich, State Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region said local Dingley Village residents and traders are deeply concerned at the chronic traffic congestion this will cause.

“This project, which the Minister for Roads has said will continue despite community concern, has the potential to be a bigger bungle than the protracted reconstruction of Mordialloc Bridge,” Ms Peulich said.

The local Labor MP for Mordialloc’s claim that the dedicated full time bus lane is a government initiative has made the Brumby Government more unreceptive to concerns raised by Ms Peulich and the local community which include:

“Even now with two lanes, the traffic banks back across the driveway of our medical practice preventing access at certain times on busy days. By reducing the lanes this would happen all the time” – Centre Dandenong Road business.

“Why would they (Brumby Government) do that? Go and have a look at the mess at Howard Road when two lanes go into one. Fix the bypass. Don’t diddle around pretending to do something!!” – Emery Drive resident, Dingley.

“As a resident of Dingley for 31 years, I have experienced the continual growth in traffic volume and associated congestion causing delays. Narrowing of Centre Dandenong Road is totally unrealistic until alternative roads are constructed.” – Spring Road resident, Dingley.

“This current State Government is so far out of touch with almost everything they touch or intend to do. Bring on the election” – Johanna Court resident, Dingley.

“The project may well be a very noble plan following the completion of the Dingley Bypass, but it certainly would be a premature and foolish plan to make a move on this before the completion of that important project that the government has been promising forever but has still not completed,” Ms Peulich said.

Ms Peulich will raise the matters addressed in the survey response in a speech to State Parliament on Thursday.