Pearcedale residents are over the moon with the news the town will finally be connected to Cranbourne via a direct bus route. Back left: Terri Hooper, Carol Dickson, Mary Madigan, Maureen Smollen, Nikki Vandelden, Joanne Malberg, Casey Councillor Colin Butler, Laura Dickson, Erin Robertson, Maggie Coburn and Clinton Clark. Front: Frank Hoe and Harry Reints. By Alison Noonan
PEARCEDALE residents say Casey Council plans to introduce a direct bus route between their town and Cranbourne is long overdue.
Frank Hoe said he was delighted with the news of the joint venture between council and Centro Cranbourne shopping centre, describing the current public transport services to Pearcedale as “woeful”.
He said the town seemed to be “cut off” from the rest of Casey, leaving residents stranded.
“There are plenty of us who have been asking for this bus for about two or three years,” Mr Hoe said.
“It just seems as though no one wants to know us. We are so isolated.”
Mr Hoe said the town lacked youth facilities, leaving young people bored and looking for trouble.
“There are a lot of young kids here and many of them have nowhere to go,” he said.
“We don’t want the kids hanging around the local milkbar doing drugs, we want them involved in community activities.
“They need a focus and an outlet.
“A bus is one thing to get the kids down to Cranbourne to do something.”
Local business owner Mary Madigan said a bus was desperately needed to connect Pearcedale residents to the rest of Casey, particularly for those who struggled to afford the increase in petrol prices to travel to Cranbourne.
“We feel detached from the City of Casey.
“We’re treated like the poor cousin,” Ms Madigan said.
“Every now and then they give us something but it seems that we have to fight for everything we need.
“We don’t even have a library. We used to have a mobile library bus but they took it off us.
“It’s even difficult to get to council’s Customer Service Centre because it’s in Cranbourne,” she said.
Pearcedale Public Hall Committee President Maureen Smollen said Casey businesses were losing financially as Pearcedale shoppers were opting to spend their money in Frankston or Karringal.
“To get to Cranbourne by bus you have to travel via Frankston so many people just shop in Frankston. It is a ridiculous route,” Ms Smollen said.
“There are all these great facilities in Cranbourne but our money is spent in Frankston because we can all get there.
“We just feel as though we are always being left out in Pearcedale,” she said.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler said the new bus service was a magnificent achievement for Pearcedale residents, who had lobbied council for better public transport for years.
“Pearcedale residents are very excited to finally be connected to the rest of Casey,” Cr Butler said.
“This issue has been going on for more than two years and has always been a big topic for residents.
“Finally all their hard work has paid off,” he said.
Cr Butler said Hastings MP Rosy Buchanan would push the State Government for a permanent bus service if the 12month trial is successful.
