A Hume City Councillor is calling for urgent improvements to public transport access to Melbourne Airport, citing inadequate services for residents in Sunbury and across the northern suburbs.
At the Monday 12 May council meeting, Woodlands Ward Cllr Steve Gagen proposed a notice of motion urging the state government and Public Transport Victoria to improve awareness and frequency of the 901 Smart Bus service, which connects Broadmeadows Station to the airport. He also suggested a new shuttle service to fill service gaps during overnight hours.
“The airport is only about a 7Km drive from where we are at the moment, but many people in this area choose to take taxis, rideshare services or get friends or relatives to drive them to the airport. The reason is that public transport is often very inconvenient and is additionally not well publicised.
“There are presently three public transport options for getting to the airport. The Skybus express bus operates from 4am to 1am from Southern Cross station direct to the airport.
“This is not a convenient route for those who live in the Northern Suburbs or regional areas to our north as it involves an unnecessary round-trip to Melbourne of some 40Km, and the trip from Southern Cross to the airport costs $24.60.
“Sunbury residents can get the 479 bus services bus to the airport, but this is not very helpful to residents in the rest of Hume. This bus runs only once an hour and not at all in the evening or during the night.
“The 901 Smart Bus service is the best option for Hume residents and for those who live to our north. Every time I visit Broadmeadows station I notice people getting off Metro and V/Line Buses with heavy bags transferring to this bus.
“The 901 Smart Bus runs every 15 minutes during weekday peak hours from Broadmeadows Station and Broadmeadows Shopping Centre to the airport. This service also runs to Coolaroo and Roxburgh Park.”
Cllr Gagen also called on council to advocate for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority to prioritise building the northern section of the loop connecting Broadmeadows to the airport. He argued that this route may offer a more cost-effective and direct alternative to the delayed Sunshine-based airport rail link.
Cllr Gagen’s Notice of Motion was carried. Council staff will now Write to Public Transport Victoria.
Melbourne Airport
The T1 taxi rank at Melbourne Airport has moved to a new location adjacent to T1 Qantas domestic arrivals, in the space previously occupied by Qantas Valet.
From late May, the new T1 taxi rank will be complemented by a new Uber pick-up zone, while a new taxi rank will open outside T2 international arrivals to complement the existing Uber zone.
The new split ranks will mirror the taxi and Uber zones in the T4 ground transport hub, which provide Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Rex and Link Airways passengers with efficient pick-ups from their choice of ride.
Skybus will continue to operate stops outside Terminals 1, 3 and 4.
