06/09/2026
Some readers will have seen a new "Love, the Bus" campaign from Transport Victoria launched this month, highlighting recent service improvements to the bus network in outer suburbs which include 20 min frequencies and midnight finishes.
Unfortunately, the promotional video - https://www.facebook.com/reel/1446994880595172 - fails to make it clear which areas have received the boosts. A case of overselling the network, with plenty of areas still relying on hourly weekend timetables or indeed no buses at all on a Sunday.
However, hidden away on the campaign website are new "outer-west" and "outer-north" summary pages that provide a list of local routes that have been upgraded along with new PDF maps for the 20 min "high frequency" network, at least all day Monday to Friday.
(They have not been added to the "maps" page yet.)
These maps give an excellent overview of frequent routes, connecting stations and key local landmarks. They have a similar feel to the existing tram network maps.
Link - https://transport.vic.gov.au/news-and-resources/campaigns/love-the-bus
Such frequency maps have been rare in the past, although a brochure promoting the 2016 Plenty Valley network featured a similar attempt. While it's questionable that 20 mins is "high-frequency", recent upgrades do represent a step-change in making Melbourne buses useable beyond traditional commuter times.
In the case of the outer-west map, this shows another round of upgrades slated for Sunday 13 September in conjunction with the opening of the new West Tarneit Station on the Geelong Line plus an extension of Route 194 to Werribee via the new Ison Rd bridge.
Other upgrades occurred in July & December last year.
Almost all routes on the map run 20 mins 7 days a week, with higher peak services in some cases. Routes where the a 20 min service only applies during the peaks do not make the cut (which is the case for several Wyndham area routes).
The new timetable for Route 194 via Mambourin, Harpley and Riverwalk however only provides a 40 min service on weekends.
A notable omission from map is Route 192 along Black Forest Rd - while there are a couple of unfortunate 40 min gaps during the school peak, this route otherwise runs 20 mins 7 days a week with midnight finishes and should be included.
The summary page does list Route 192, but only focuses on the route's midnight span.
Meanwhile, Route 190 on Ballan Rd is shown on the map but only runs a 20 min service on weekdays, with a 40 min timetable operating on weekends. It however runs until midnight 7 days, providing a direct link to Wyndham Vale for those wishing to travel Werribee - Geelong (an upgrade dating back to 2015).
Inclusion of the combined 166+167 corridor between Hoppers Crossing and Werribee Plaza would also make sense.
The outer-west summary page also lists new 454 to Thornhill Park, but omits any mention of the 20 min weekday service on new routes 140A to Mt Atkinson or 405 in Cairnlea.
A separate frequency map for the Melton-Caroline Springs area will be warranted as more upgrades come online in coming months.
We will do a second post later today with some commentary around the separate outer-north frequency map for the Craigieburn area.
In any case, these new frequency maps are a welcome & overdue addition to promote the more frequent pockets of Melbourne's much-maligned bus network.
Such maps would also be a welcome addition for areas including Sunshine, Brunswick, Box Hill, Doncaster, Monash, Cranbourne-Clyde North and inner Geelong, where multiple routes operate at useable frequencies.
