In a Melbourne first, a designated busway has been pitched to run down the middle of the Eastern Freeway, linking the CBD to the eastern suburbs.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) separates purpose-built, high-capacity buses from other traffic such as cars and trucks via a dedicated lane that provides full right of way.
Leading global public transport company, Transdev, and infrastructure investor, John Laing, have pitched the Doncaster Bus Rapid Transit project to the Victorian Government through their market-led proposal process.
The process allows the private sector to put forward potential infrastructure solutions for Victoria and Victorians.
Infrastructure Victoria and the Treasury department are said to be supportive of the proposal.
It is also believed that the BRT system, should it go ahead, would ultimately help to enable long-held plans to establish a rail network down the Eastern Freeway to Doncaster – a project that was first mooted in the 1970s.
Elements of the proposal are expected to evolve through extensive engagement with the community and other stakeholders should the Victorian Government support the further development of the proposal.
With a proposed capacity of 150 passengers per bus, the full bus journey from Doncaster to Melbourne’s CBD on the BRT is projected to take around 30 minutes.
Transdev spokesperson, Kathy Lazanas, said, “We will work with the Victorian Government through its well established market-led proposal process.”
