By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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RETIREMENT villagers in Hallam are fighting to reinstate a direct bus link to Dandenong.
About 38 residents of Saffron Grove retirement village have petitioned for the link after the 827 bus service, which travelled in front of their Saffron Drive residences, was terminated.
Resident Les Cook said residents, some of them on walking sticks and frames, didn’t want to take an uphill 15-minute walk that included a “treacherous” crossing of Princes Highway to catch the 828 service to Dandenong.
The other alternative was to catch the new 891 service to Hallam railway station and catch a train to Dandenong and walk, or take a shuttle bus to services in the town centre.
Mr Cook said the link was needed to get to doctors, the hospital, government offices, solicitors and other services in Dandenong.
Many residents weren’t keen to take the train from Hallam station because of safety issues.
“Hallam isn’t a manned station. During the day there are people hanging around there and there are no toilets.”
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, who tabled the petition in Parliament last week, said the old 827 route was stopped after a previous bus review.
“I recently approached the bus service providers and asked whether the 828 bus service, which does not go through the Hallam Gardens estate, could go via Saffron Grove. Unfortunately at this stage, the providers have indicated that would not be possible.”
Cranbourne Transit, which runs the bus service, did not respond before deadline.
A Public Transport Victoria spokeswoman said the bus route changes, which included a doubling of bus services on Saffron Drive, were as a result of “extensive community consultation’. She said residents had preferred connections to the nearest train station at Hallam.
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