526 Bus Campaign

29/05/2026

The is a Ventura Bus route so this survey may be of interest to fellow passengers.

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Our 10-Year Vision Survey is now live, and we want to hear your ideas, feedback and vision for our future of public transport.

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Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VM5DCRJ

06/05/2026

Pre-state budget and before the exciting funding announcement (🚌!!!), the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan came out and interviewed some of us 526 bus campaigners, along with Anthony Cianflone MP and Nathan Lambert MP!

30/04/2026

Great post by Coburg High School and look at those sustainable transport numbers (which include bus travel)! 🙌🏼

🚌 🎉 It was wonderful to share the moment of the exciting 526 bus announcement with Principal Brent!

As we said at the time, walking to the media conference on Tuesday morning we saw a bunch of about 15 Coburg High School students alight from the 526!
Students will be greatly benefitted by the funded increased service frequency!
And by the later service so they can get home from jobs and sport etc.

29/04/2026

9 news coverage of the Minister’s exciting bus service announcement yesterday, including VERY happy 526 Bus Campaigners!

gabbywilliamsmp .victoria .vic .au

29/04/2026

🎧526 BUS CAMPAIGN SUCCESS ON ABC RADIO MELBOURNE
A couple of hours after receiving the incredibly exciting news from Minister Williams we were contacted for a quick interview for ABC Radio Melbourne.

Fancy our 526 bus campaign win being the poster child for the fantastic state-wide bus service announcement!

We still can’t believe our success and took a while to realise we won’t have to take the petition to Coburg Hill at after school time on Friday as planned! We also won’t need to put up all the posters we just had printed!

To recap, at minimum (and with consultation opportunities to come) we have funded in the budget for the 526 bus:
✅ Sunday and Public holiday service
✅ 20 minute frequency
✅ Evenings
✅ Funded in budget
➡️ Consultation (we want to talk more useful route connecting with train/ tram, and clarify evening/ night hours)
➡️ Roll out early next year

Thank you Gabrielle Williams MP .victoria ABC Melbourne

Melbourne on Transit - blog Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), Victoria, Australia BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria Daniel Bowen, public transport advocate Cr Connie Boglis OAM Ventura Bus Nat Abboud for Merri-Bek

28/04/2026

Here is an update on the bus wins in the state budget from Climate Action Merri-bek's blogsite. Four bus upgrades for Merri-bek. Well done all!

Victoria’s buses have just received their biggest funding boost in at least 10 years, with $100 million added in the state budget. CAM has been working with local groups on several bus campai…

28/04/2026

🎉 HUGE and EXCITING NEWS!! 🎉
✅ Sundays and public holidays!
✅ 20 min frequency!
✅ Evenings!
✅ Funded in the budget!
This greatly improved 526 bus service will be a game changer for our local community!
Thank you to Anthony Cianflone MP for supporting and to the 640 who have signed our petition!

27/04/2026

🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌

6️⃣3️⃣1️⃣ have signed our petition for better , and that is 14 buses full!

🔗 Petition link is in bio, story highlights and Facebook comments.

Anthony Cianflone MP Nathan Lambert MP Gabrielle Williams MP Sheena Watt MP Jacinta Allan Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), Victoria, Australia Daniel Bowen, public transport advocate BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria Cr Connie Boglis OAM BIG4 Melbourne Holiday Park Nat Abboud for Merri-Bek Merri-bek City Council Ventura Bus Melbourne on Transit - blog

24/04/2026

🚌 526 RUNNING ON ANZAC DAY
Thanks to the BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria for the info. This is the first time the 526 bus has run on ANZAC Day and it will run on a SATURDAY timetable.

24/04/2026

🚌 526 RUNNING ON ANZAC DAY

Thanks to BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria we know the 526 is running on ANZAC Day - for the first time!

ANZAC DAY BUS SERVICES 🚍🌹
Planning to catch a bus in Melbourne or regional Victoria on Anzac Day? Certainly a game of "two-up" whether your bus is operating or not.

In Melbourne, if your bus runs Sundays, it will be running a Saturday timetable (except 681 & 682 in Rowville).

As Anzac Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, most 6-day routes are operating a Saturday timetable, regardless if they normally run on public holidays or not.

However, former Invicta routes in the outer-east (671, 672, 677, 681, 682 & Croydon-Lilydale FlexiRide) won't run.

Nearby Ventura routes ex-Mount Dandy Bus (689) or ex-US Bus Lines (694, 697 & 699) will operate a Saturday service.

And in the northern suburbs, Ventura Ivanhoe routes 526, 548, 549 & 550 will be operating despite being MIA over Easter.

Also noteworthy is Kinetic Routes 503 & 506 now operate on most public holidays while we also have confirmed Route 558 in North-West Reservoir will operate.

For regional Victoria, smaller towns are generally treating it as a public holiday (no service in most cases) while the larger provincial centres will run a Saturday service, as per most public holidays.

In Mildura & Coronet Bay, operators have confirmed a Sunday timetable will apply. Buses won't run in Wodonga while a Sunday service applies over the border in Albury, as per NSW public holiday arrangements.

We've also included a bingo-card in the comments for which 6-day services that have operated on different public holidays across April.