[publictransport] V/Line ban bikes affect local tourism

[telstar at cfsmtb.net]

Hi all,

And greetings from the mostly dormant PT list, you probably joined this
email list earlier this year due to the Connex & V/Line bike bans

Needless to mention, all that 'goodwill' and promises from earlier this
year from Kosky et al seem to have either evaporated or been ground down
via bureaucratic attrition.

cheers,

Chris


***


BIKE BAN "MAY HURT RAIL TRAIL"
http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/bike-ban-may-hurt-rail-trail/1341356.aspx

BRAD WORRALL   23/10/2008 1:00:00 AM  

BIKES will be banned from buses that replace V/Line trains to the North
East and tourism experts fear that may put the brakes on one of its
emerging markets. 

They say an advertising campaign targetting train travel out of Melbourne
has attracted large numbers of riders to the Murray to
Mountains bike trail.  

 But from November 8, when work begins on the conversion of the rail line
to standard gauge and the buses take over, bikes will be banned
from the route.  

 A V/Line spokesman said it was “purely about space limitations” but
admitted negotiations with private bus operators were continuing.  

 Clayton Neil, cycle tourism officer for the rail trail on behalf of
Indigo, Wangaratta and Alpine councils, said the ban hit the rail
trail’s peak seasons.  

 He said 45,000 people used the 83km trail last year, almost 8000 at Easter
alone.  

 “We know the work has to happen but we are disappointed with the
timing,” Mr Neil said.   

 “Spring and autumn are our peaks, the weather is a bit cooler and in
spring everything is coming to life while in autumn there is
the change of leaves as you travel up the valley.  

 “And the Christmas holidays are also very busy.  

 “But having said that we know that over the June long weekends three
groups of more than 30 people travelled from Melbourne to
Wangaratta by train to use the rail trail.  

 “The aim is to try to position the region as the premier cycling
destination in the country and now this has happened just a
year into the campaign.”  

 Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce president and bike tour operator Geoff
Scott said train travellers were a growing part of rail trail
users.  

 “The rail trail itself has been enormously successful and it is probably
our strongest growth area in tourism,” he said.  

 “If that is going to happen it will have a dramatic impact throughout
the valley.  

 “One of the things the rail trail committee have been pushing is the
train trips out of Melbourne.”  

 Mr Neil said while no figures were available he believed rail travel to
the Wangaratta start of the trail was on the rise.  

 “Over the past six to eight months the increase in train travellers has
been quite noticeable and perhaps that has something to
do with petrol prices, green travel or people looking for a different
holiday experience,” he said.  

 Bikes are permitted on the XPT service from Melbourne that also stops at
Wangaratta.  

 Commuters are charges $12.10 to travel with their bike.