In short:
Anthony Albanese has urged Australians to use public transport during the fuel crisis, but his address has been criticised for lacking detail. In Melbourne’s west, unreliable buses and Werribee Line disruptions from 15 to 25 April are leaving residents with few alternatives as fuel prices rise.
Transport system under pressure
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is urging Australians to leave the car at home where possible as the national fuel crisis deepens, but campaigners say that option simply does not exist for many families in Melbourne’s west.
In a national address on 1 April, Mr Albanese called on Australians to cut fuel use as the war in the Middle East continues to drive up global fuel costs and place pressure on supplies. He said, “if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so.”
However, the address itself has drawn criticism for lacking detail, with few concrete measures outlined beyond general advice to reduce fuel consumption. What had been promoted as a significant national update offered limited clarity on how households would be supported through the crisis, leaving many questions unanswered about longer-term solutions.
That message is particularly challenging in Melbourne’s outer west, where buses are often infrequent, finish early and in some areas do not run at all on weekends. Residents say public transport is not a realistic substitute for driving, especially for shift workers, school students, nurses and those travelling outside peak hours.
The issue is now being compounded for train passengers, with sections of the network impacted by disruptions and replacement buses during the fuel spike. As previously reported, buses are replacing trains on the Werribee Line from 15 April to 25 April between Newport and Werribee, placing further pressure on an already stretched and unreliable bus system in Melbourne’s west.
The Better Buses campaign says the current fuel crisis is exposing long-standing transport inequality across the western suburbs. Campaign spokesperson Simon Tran said the Prime Minister’s message only works if people actually have a reliable alternative.
“We have clear directions from the Prime Minister. Jacinta Allan and Victorian Labor must step in now to implement a fast, frequent and connected network of buses in Melbourne’s West,” Mr Tran said.
Mr Tran said families would remain under pressure unless the west receives a bus system that works across the day and week, not just for limited peak-hour travel.
“If we’re serious about getting through this fuel crisis, we need a fast, frequent, and connected bus network now. Without it, families will keep struggling,” he said.
The campaign says households in Wyndham are already feeling the strain, with local fuel prices sitting at about $2.49 per litre, adding to broader cost-of-living pressure. Advocates say the combination of rising petrol prices, limited government detail, train disruptions and a weak bus network is leaving many residents with no practical choice but to keep driving.
