Doncaster Park and Ride bus station

Doncaster Park and Ride is a park and ride bus station and future busway station located in Melbourne, Australia. It serves the suburb of Doncaster and situates next to the Eastern Freeway, and opened in January 2003. On some official sources and signage of the station, the "and" in its name is replaced by a "+" symbol, making it Doncaster Park + Ride.^[2]

Doncaster Park and Ride
PTV bus stop
Route 207 bus at Doncaster Park and Ride
General information
Location	398-412 Doncaster Road,[1] Doncaster City of Manningham Australia
Coordinates	37.788886°S 145.104825°E / -37.788886; 145.104825
Owned by	Department of Transport and Planning
Operated by	Kinetic Melbourne
Line(s)	Eastern Busway (future)
Platforms	1
Bus routes	8
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	400
Accessible	Yes―step free access
Other information
Station code	21050
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
History
Opened	January 2003
Services
Preceding station PTV Bus Following station Future Bulleen Park and Ride towards Hoddle Street Eastern Busway Terminus

History

The park-and-ride was opened in January 2003 by the state government partnered with the former National Bus Company.^[3] However, its usefulness was disputed due to a review of the facility by the Department of Infrastructure in 2004 found that of those using it, only one person was a new user of public transport. All other people had previously commuted by bus.^[4]

The station car park was part of the upgrades proposed in the Urban Congestion Fund (UCF) was established in the 2018–19 Budget by the federal government to increase the capacity of the car park. This project was approved in May 2020 for AU$6 million, fully funded by the Australian Government and to be delivered by the Victorian Government.^[5] However, an audit by Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) found that the program was “not effective” and identification of projects “was not demonstrably merit-based”, and the park-and-ride facility did not qualify for funding.^[6] In the 2022–23 Budget, the newly elected federal government withdrew the funding commitment to this project.^[7]

As a part of the North East Link project, a dedicated busway will be constructed along with a rebuilt of the station, connecting the Park and Ride facility and Hoddle Street in the city with its own right-of-way. It is expected to be completed by 2028.^[8]

Facilities

Doncaster Park and Ride bus station platform

The station services the 907 and 908 SmartBus services, a part of the Doncaster Area Rapid Transit (DART), as well as seven other bus routes.^[9] Apart from a park-and-ride, the station also acts as an interchange between Eastern Freeway express routes and other bus routes.^[10]

The station has an indoor waiting area, a sheltered waiting area, a Parkiteer bicycle cage, a toilet, and a customer information centre.^[2]

Although this station is served by nine bus routes, there is only one boarding platform with some buses stopping at the same stop in both directions, causing confusion for passengers. Some suggest that the limited platform space and inconsistent stopping spots for buses create a dangerous waiting environment.^[11]

Bus routes

Sign showing bus routes departing Doncaster Park and Ride as of 2018.

It is served by nine routes all operated by Kinetic Melbourne, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  207 : Melbourne CBD (Queen Street) – Westfield Doncaster^[12]
•  280 : Manningham Loop (Clockwise)^[13]
•  282 : Manningham Loop (Anticlockwise)^[14]
•  284 : to Box Hill station^[15]
•  285 : to Camberwell Shopping Centre^[16]
•  303 : to Ringwood North (PM peak only)^[17]
• SmartBus  907 : Melbourne CBD (Lonsdale Street) – Mitcham station^[18]
• SmartBus  908 : Melbourne CBD (Lonsdale Street) – The Pines Shopping Centre (to city at AM peak only)^[19]

See also

• SmartBus
• Buses in Melbourne
• Doncaster railway line

References

1. "Property Report" (PDF). Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Victoria State Government. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
2. Victoria, Public Transport. "Doncaster Park + Ride/Doncaster Rd". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
3. Inquiry into sustainable urban design for new communities in outer suburban areas (PDF). Melbourne: Victorian Government - Parliament - Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee. September 2004. p. 168. ISBN 9780975182529. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
4. "Myth: Park-and-Ride will encourage public transport use | Public Transport Users Association (Victoria, Australia)". Public Transport Users Association (Victoria, Australia). Retrieved 22 April 2023.
5. Hehir, Grant. "Administration of Commuter Car Park Projects within the Urban Congestion Fund" (PDF). ANAO. Australian National Audit Office. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
6. Karp, Paul (29 June 2021). "Government committed millions to commuter car parks that could never be built, Labor says". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
7. "Commuter Car Park Upgrade - Doncaster Park and Ride". Infrastructure Investment Program. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
8. "Eastern Express Busway". Victoria’s Big Build. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
9. "Making the most of Melbourne's buses" (PDF). Infrastructure Victoria. Infrastructure Victoria. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
10. "Doncaster Park and Ride – Transit Oriented Development" (PDF). Manningham City Council. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
11. "Push to upgrade dingy and dangerous PT hub". Herald Sun. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
12. "207 City - Doncaster SC via Kew Junction". Public Transport Victoria.
13. "280 Manningham Loop via Tunstall Square SC & Doncaster SC". Public Transport Victoria.
14. "282 Manningham Loop via Templestowe Village SC & Doncaster SC". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "284 Doncaster Park & Ride - Box Hill via Union Road". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "285 Doncaster Park & Ride - Camberwell via North Balwyn". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "303 City - Ringwood North via Park Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
18. "907 City - Mitcham via Doncaster Rd (SMARTBUS service)". Public Transport Victoria.
19. "908 City - The Pines SC via Eastern Fwy (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

• Public Transport Victoria