THE all-too frequent vandalising of bus shelters along the 788 bus route from Frankston to Portsea has so irked Lindy Clarke that she called The News to complain.
“They are always getting smashed,” she said.
“I saw one vandalised near Tanti Park, also at Blairgowrie and four on Pt Nepean Road from Tootgarook to Rosebud. They were 500 metres apart.
“In one case a steel bollard had been thrown through the bus shelter window. I even got glass splinters in my sandals.
“In one damaged shelter there was an older lady with kids trying to find shelter from the wind.”
Ms Clarke said schoolies were often wrongly blamed for the vandalism. “It’s not schoolies, it happens all the time,” she said.
The Department of Transport said several damaged bus shelters in Mornington had recently been identified and “would undergo repairs in the coming weeks”.
A spokesperson said: “This sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable and we encourage people who witness vandalism to report it immediately to the police.
“Damaged bus shelters can be reported to Public Transport Victoria on 1800 800 007 and we will act to have the repairs completed as quickly as possible.”
The Department of Transport contracts out the management and maintenance of bus shelters across Melbourne, and the contractor is responsible for cleaning and repairs.
First published in the Mornington News – 12 November 2019
