Buses on Hoddle Street during peak hour; Melbourne's busiest bus corridor - Melbourne Transport

In this video we take a visit to Hoddle Street; a major north-south arterial road in Melbourne's inner north. Between Victoria Parade and the Eastern Freeway, Hoddle Street is home to Melbourne's busiest bus corridor, served by 13 different bus routes including the high-frequency DART (Doncaster Area Rapid Transit) Smartbus routes. Most routes along Hoddle Street serve buses around the Doncaster/Manningham areas along the Eastern Freeway as this part of Melbourne developed without a railway line.
Here we see a lot of Transdev buses filmed during afternoon peak hour, including Mercedes Benz O405NH's, MAN 12.220's, 15.220's, 16.220's and 16.240's, Scania L94UB's, K230UB's, K280UB's and K310UB's, Volvo B7RLE's and Scania K320UA and K360UA articulated buses, all with various Custom Coaches, Volgren, Designline and Gemilang bodies.
Being filmed in March 2019, this video was filmed several months before Transdev started taking delivery of new Scania K310UB & K320UB buses. A large number of the MAN 12.220's, 14.220's, 15.220's & 16.220's seen in this video have since been withdrawn from service.
Throughout the video you'll see just how crowded these buses can get, some so full that they can't take anymore passengers. I feel the problem could help be alleviated if Transdev had higher capacity buses. Despite operating some of Melbourne's busiest bus routes and having over 540 buses, Transdev only has 6 articulated buses in the fleet, which is a ridiculously low number for such a large bus operator. Meanwhile Torrens Transit in Adelaide with over 700 buses has at least 115 articulated buses with many being used on busy O-Bahn busway services. Even ACTION in Canberra with 456 buses has 44 articulated buses, and Metro Tasmania with 220 buses has 20 articulated buses.
Another problem with the Hoddle Street bus corridor is the lack of effective bus priority. There is a bus lane for citybound traffic but it's only in effect from 6am to 10am on weekdays. There was an attempt to make it a full-time bus lane when Hoddle Street was upgraded last year, but local businesses kicked up a stink "claiming" that they would loose parking and that buses using the lane were empty, even though many buses were heading to the city to begin their afternoon runs where they would then take home crowds of passengers. And people wonder why buses in Melbourne run late...
A new full-time bus lane was installed for outbound traffic fairly recently but it doesn't extend for the entire length of Hoddle Street. In summary Melbourne sucks at allocating priority for road-based public transport, whether it be bus lanes or dedicated tram lines, and tram/bus priority lights at intersections. It's like as though the road network is trying to cater for everyone, and by everyone it means everyone gets stuck in the same traffic with no attempt at prioritizing public transport to provide a quicker alternative to the car. Even smaller cities such as Perth, Auckland and Canberra do a much better job at allocating priority for road-based public transport.
Date: March 2019.
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[@ThebusofdoomFSX]

For those expecting the premiere for this video; apologies but I had to cancel it as more important things came up. Don't worry I still have more planned before the end of the year.

[@JTRAIN]

The Smartbus 905 is the busiest routes in Melbourne because a lot people tend to get on and off at Bulleen park + ride

[@VictorianTransportSpotter]

Excellent video, it’s a shame you didn’t see the 684.

[@ThebusofdoomFSX]

I forgot the 684 even exists!

[@vfwasteandtransport8419]

4:30 bus 386 was I think in the Doncaster depot when you filmed this because it's running on a Smart Bus DART route when it's NOT a Smart Bus. things like this do happen at times with the Doncaster fleet. but anyhow. 386 has since moved back to Heatherton where it first operated following the withdrawing of the 12.220 CB30's. Running routes 600, 922, 923 and possibly new routes 603 & 604.

[@Alexander_Dunn]

Lmao how do all of you know so much about buses The only bus I know is the design line 😂

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

nice video

[@vfwasteandtransport8419]

I hate seeing standard route buses on Smart Bus routes and vice versa. Way to go Transdev North Fitzroy & Doncaster.

[@Alexander_Dunn]

5:34 WIDE PUTIN MUSIC GETS LOUDER

[@TazzieTransport]

Does it support the 264

[@ksmashgamer5748]

Needs a full time or atleast weekday full bus lane

[@TazzieTransport]

PLZ FILM THE ELECTRIC BUS

[@ThebusofdoomFSX]

I can't really do that when I live up in Shepparton.

[@samstrainchannel611]

Tazzie Transport Busofdoomfsx Doesn’t Do Request

[@samstrainchannel611]

Tazzie Transport I Do Request Though!

[@TazzieTransport]

ThebusofdoomFSX True but If you come down here to film trains near the 264 bus please try

[@itechcircle9410]

audio: hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhvrrrrrrrooooooommmmmmhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhvvvvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrroooooooooommmmmm

[@gregorygherkins1884]

First comment!

[@SkyFire07]

busofdoom next year there is gonna be no more comeng trains. its so sad.

[@VictorianTransportSpotter]

Jurassic world Productions I think they will run ‘till 2026.

[@SkyFire07]

so the comeng train will still be here next year

[@VictorianTransportSpotter]

Jurassic world Productions yes

[@SkyFire07]

@@VictorianTransportSpotterYESSSS its my favourite train

[@ThebusofdoomFSX]

@@SkyFire07 yeah Comeng's will still be around for a while yet