Editing Public Transport Users Association

{{short description|Australian public transport lobby group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{POV|date=July 2023}}
The '''Public Transport Users Association''' ('''PTUA''') is a community-based [[public transport]] lobby group in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], based in [[Melbourne]]. It is run entirely by volunteers and has no full-time staff.

== History and aims ==
The organisation was founded in 1976 as the Train Travellers Association, and became prominent after the controversial [[Lonie Report]] recommended huge freeway expansion and closure of most public passenger transport in the city.

The Association advocates a greater role for public transport and less dependence on the private car. Key PTUA policies include: 
* A publicly accountable authority to provide co-ordinated planning and management of [[train]], [[tram]] and [[bus]] services,
* The favouring of sustainable transport modes over cars, through appropriate urban planning decisions, and taxation and transport project resource allocations,
* Opposition to major road expansion such as the building of new [[freeway]]s,
* More frequent public transport services, longer operating hours and better connections between modes,
* Expansion of the train, tram, and bus networks,
* More staffing at stations and on trains/trams,
* [[Fare]]s that ensure public transport is competitive with car travel.

Of particular interest to the Association are potential [[List of proposed Melbourne rail extensions|extensions to Melbourne's metropolitan rail network]], particularly lines to [[Doncaster, Victoria|Doncaster]], [[Rowville, Victoria|Rowville]] (via [[Monash University]]'s [[Monash University, Clayton campus|Clayton Campus]]) and [[Melbourne Airport]], the revitalisation of the bus network, including more routes being upgraded to [[Buses in Melbourne#SmartBus|SmartBus]] status,<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Policies: Extending the network
  | publisher = Public Transport Users Association
  | url = http://www.ptua.org.au/policy/network
  | accessdate = 2007-01-04
  | archive-date = 11 March 2007
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311154608/http://www.ptua.org.au/policy/network
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> and filling in so-called "tram missing links", by the construction of mostly minor extensions to the tram network that will ensure that routes terminate at nearby railway stations, bus routes and activity centres.<ref>{{cite news|last=Carey|first=Adam|title=Lobby urges tram extensions to avoid dead-end trips|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/lobby-urges-tram-extensions-to-avoid-deadend-trips-20130305-2fj48.html|accessdate=2013-03-08|newspaper=The Age|date=2013-03-06|archive-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802182305/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/lobby-urges-tram-extensions-to-avoid-deadend-trips-20130305-2fj48.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Achievements ==
The PTUA successfully campaigned for extended [[New Year's Day]] public transport hours in 2004,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTjnf7BKfxI How Melbourne got all-night NYE public transport] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112082012/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTjnf7BKfxI |date=12 November 2022 }} YouTube video 03:23 in length</ref> and that has been continued by the state government in subsequent years. They also successfully lobbied for the extension of the 109 tram to Box Hill in Melbourne's east.<ref>{{cite web|title=PTUA Achievements|url=https://www.ptua.org.au/achievements/|accessdate=28 April 2020|language=english|archive-date=2 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602214041/https://www.ptua.org.au/achievements/|url-status=live}}</ref> The association successfully pushed against the contentious idea to prohibit bikes on trains during rush hour in 2008, garnering substantial media attention.<ref>{{cite web|title=BICYCLES TO BE BANNED FROM PEAK HOUR TRAINS|url=https://www.ptua.org.au/2007/12/21/bicycle-peak-train-ban/|accessdate=28 April 2020|language=english|archive-date=28 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328162648/https://www.ptua.org.au/2007/12/21/bicycle-peak-train-ban/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Association maintains a high media profile, publishes a regular newsletter for members, operates an office in Melbourne, and has a branch in [[Geelong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ptua.org.au/geelong-branch/|title=Geelong Branch|publisher=Public Transport Users Association|accessdate=2012-06-04|archive-date=4 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604132819/https://www.ptua.org.au/geelong-branch/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Ballarat branch is dormant.<ref>{{cite web|title=PTUA Ballarat Branch|url=http://www.ptua.org.au/ballarat/|publisher=Public Transport Users Association|accessdate=2016-10-23|archive-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531235350/https://www.ptua.org.au/ballarat/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The current president is Tony Morton, who succeeded [[Daniel Bowen]] in October 2012.

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [https://www.ptua.org.au Official website]
* [https://www.ptua.org.au/about/history History of the PTUA]

[[Category:Organizations established in 1976]]
[[Category:Public transport in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Transport organisations based in Australia]]


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