The bus stop project at Lake Charm is a good example of how small changes can make a big difference for small communities.
The Lake Charm / Mystic Park townships are located alongside the Murray Valley Highway between Swan Hill and Kerang. The highway has a number of intra and interstate bus services, which pass through most days.
Prior to the beginning of the Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership, none of these buses were commissioned to stop at Lake Charm / Mystic Park, unable to either pick up or set down passengers.
This created widespread transport disadvantage for these two small communities, with people having to hire a taxi from Kerang (which is 15 minutes away) to travel into Kerang to catch a bus to Bendigo, Melbourne, Swan Hill, etc. This would come at a considerable cost to the passengers, and often the taxi would be travelling either in front of or behind the bus that their passenger wanted to catch.
The Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership began discussions with Public Transport Victoria in 2005, in order establish a bus stop at Lake Charm, and to commission a number of buses to pick up and set down at this location. These discussions proved successful, with a new bus stop being developed at Lake Charm and various buses contracted to stop.
This project has proven to be an outstanding success for the Lake Charm and Mystic Park communities, and has provided vital access for the many people living in this part of rural Victoria. The project has also highlighted how a relatively small change can make a huge difference to small communities.
Since then the Southern Mallee Transport Connections Partnership has worked closely with Public Transport Victoria in order to establish new bus stops and timetable poles at various other locations across the southern mallee.
For information about the various buses that service the Lake Charm / Mystic Park area, please refer to the 'Public Transport' link on the left hand side of this webpage.
Please note that some bus services that stop at Lake Charm require a booking, whilst others are a 'flag down' service. Please telephone Public Transport Victoria on 1800 800 007 for more information.
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