"A big part of our future": Is the premier catching on to SmartBuses?

“Smart Bus routes are really important, and you know what I was talking to the Public Transport Minister just this week about what can we do to maybe have more Smart Bus routes where the buses go more direct, they’re taking more passengers and they are really really economically valuable and good value for our taxpayers .. .. I think for buses they say that for every dollar invested in buses it’s five dollars return to the Victorian community because they’re cheaper to get going, they use existing road network so yes buses are a big part of our future.”Hon Ben Carroll MP, 16 June 2026 Premier Ben Carroll has stressed the importance of buses for Melbourne's transport future in a wide-ranging video interview on transport matters. Speaking on June 16 while still deputy premier, Mr Carroll told Shriram from Kiddo Explores that improved buses returned about five dollars of benefits per dollar invested (interview below). He also revealed that he had asked the then Public and Active…