BETTER BUS SYSTEM WILL BREATHE LIFE INTO CITY

BILL Votsaris might know about developing property but, unfortunately, he knows nothing about public transport (GA 30/9).

He regularly campaigns for our central bus stops in Moorabool St to be “scattered around the city”. However, when that happened a decade ago, while Moorabool St was being dug up, public transport use dropped.

During the same time, shops in Moorabool St continued to close. So it’s obvious the presence of bus stops has little to do with the difficulties retailers experience in central Geelong.

The real reason for the pressure on strip shopping in the city is the dominating presence of the huge Westfield shopping mall.

Breathing more life into central Geelong will be difficult if the 1.3 million people who use the central bus stops every year, bringing their business to the city, are prevented from doing so.

Since the bus stops were moved back to Moorabool St a few years ago, bus use has increased by over 6 per cent. That’s something to be celebrated, not criticised.

Mr Votsaris obviously doesn’t care about encouraging a usable bus system in Geelong. He seems happy for the city to remain car-dominated, thereby ensuring ever-increasing traffic and parking problems.

Successful cities around the world increasingly encourage the use of sustainable means of transport — walking, cycling and public transport — to improve their environment and character.

It was also disappointing that the story was illustrated by an irrelevant picture of someone being arrested in the mall. How does that relate to the central bus stops? Paul Westcott, Geelong Branch, Public Transport Users Association