The Napthine Government is responsible for the
continued failure of V/Line to meet monthly punctuality targets, Ms Jaala
Pulford MP, Member for Western Victoria,
said today.

Ms Pulford said V/Line had missed
its monthly punctuality target of 92 per cent on the Ballarat line where trains
arrived on time only 83.9% of the time in June.

V/Line punctuality on the Ballarat line has
steadily decreased over the last 12 months from 89.1% in June last year, to 86%
in May this year, before once again dropping to the 83.9% figure last month.

Ms Pulford said performance figures for last month show V/Line missed its 92
per cent punctuality target on the Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland and
Seymour lines.

“Regional Victorians have every right to be outraged that both the Premier
Denis Napthine and Transport Minister Terry Mulder – both regional MPs –
continually fail to do anything to improve services,” Ms Pulford said.

Ballarat commuters are right to be angry that this Government claimed to have
‘fixed’ Victoria’s transport problems, yet there are continued failures.

“The Napthine Government seems to have the attitude that regional
commuters don’t matter and they will accept a substandard train service.

“Public transport fares have increased by more than 18 per cent under the
Napthine Government, yet regional services
continue to worsen.

“Ballarat commuters will
usually accept a reasonable fare rise if, in return, they are provided with
better services but any new services are years away under the Napthine
Government.

“This again puts a lie to the Government’s election promise that it would fix
the problems.

All Mr Napthine and Mr Mulder have done is made
them worse,” Ms Pulford said.