Murray Bridge needs bus services, independent Airlie Keen says
The state election candidate for Hammond has been calling for better public transport for years.
Independent election candidate Airlie Keen is calling on the state government to extend Adelaide Metro services to Murray Bridge and Strathalbyn.
Improving public transport services had been at the top of her list of priorities since her first run as an independent candidate in 2022, she said.
“I have been calling for the metro ticket system to be extended to Murray Bridge and Strathalbyn for many years – one ticket all the way to Adelaide,” Ms Keen said.
“With population growth occurring across the Hills and Murraylands, it is long overdue for our communities to have access to better more affordable bus services.”
The Murraylands is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing regions in the state.
The Murray Bridge council predicts the city's population will grow to nearly 40,000 by 2041, making it the largest regional city in the state; yet it remains cut off from the Adelaide Metro network.
Along with a direct bus service, Ms Keen called on on the government to invest in the required technology and services utilised by Adelaide Metro users in metropolitan areas.
“If the government announces this extension, they must also include onboard technology such as tap and go payments and cash options via vending machines or over the counter,” she said.
“Seniors, veterans, those with disabilities and children under five should all travel for free, as they do in the metropolitan area.”
Ms Keen said locals had been waiting for metro-ticketed services for a long time, as current services were insufficient and expensive.
Murray Bridge residents have to either pay $24.20 for a bus to Adelaide or travel to Mount Barker, where the bus fare is $4.25.
Last month, the Liberal Party announced their own plan for a direct bus service from Murray Bridge to Adelaide, and 50-cent flat fares across the metropolitan area, if they win the 2026 state election.
Ms Keen said that promise was not meaningful: “They have Buckley’s chance of getting into government.”
Public transport in the electorate of Hammond has been a major issue since at least the 2018 election, if not longer.
A feasibility study promised by the Liberals at that time was never delivered.
