Media Release

RESIDENTS are still in the dark about the results of a crucial review into the hills bus network.

Public transport lobbyists have called for the results of the Yarra Ranges/Knox/Maroondah bus review, which began in October 2008, to be released.

The results of the review are crucial to bus users in the hills, in particular students at Sherbrooke Community School.

The review had proposed cutting the 694 route, which travels from Belgrave to Olinda via Sherbrooke Rd, which students rely on to get to school.

News the route may be scrapped prompted massive community backlash from teachers, teenagers and parents.

Eastern Transport Coalition chairwoman Samantha Dunn said the seven-council lobby group had written to Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula demanding the results be released.

``There was a whole heap of community expectation set around this review, and we've heard nothing,'' Cr Dunn said.

``I think the Government has sat on these reports for a long time. As I understand it, they have been completed, they just haven't been released.''

The review also outlined improvements to the system which would benefit people in the hills, including an extension of a route from Gembrook to Belgrave; and a new service from Boronia to Sassafras.

Kilsyth state Liberal MP David Hodgett said expectations had built up and then been let down by the review, and he accused the government of delaying its release for political purposes. ``It begs the question, has it been shelved or are they saving it to trot out at election time with announcements about service improvements,'' he said.

Mr Hodgett has repeatedly raised the issue in parliament, the latest being on March 11.

Department of Transport spokeswoman Andrea Duckworth said the department hoped to release the report soon.