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Napthine rejects all-night Vic transport

An opposition plan for all-night public transport in Melbourne is a high-cost proposal that no one wants, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says.

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(AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has rejected the opposition's plans for 24-hour public-transport as a "high-cost" proposal that Melburnians don't want.

Melbourne would trial 24-hour public transport on weekends if the state opposition wins the November election.

Trains would run on all lines, while extra trams and buses would also help get people out of the city safely, Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews says.

A 2am service to the regional cities of Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Traralgon is also part of the plan.

But Dr Napthine rejected the concept, saying more trains at peak-hour was the government's priority.

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"What Daniel Andrews is proposing is a high-cost proposal that is not the key priority for public transport," he told reporters.

"The key priority for public transport is more trains in peak hours, more trains when people want to use public transport.

"It's a process that will simply not provide what people want."

Dr Napthine said the city's Night Rider bus service already provided a safe 24-hour service for party-goers in the city.

But Mr Andrews said the world's most liveable city should have a world-class public transport system.

"I think that Friday and Saturday nights ending with either a run to the last train, or getting stranded waiting for the first train, or battling to find a cab, there is nothing world-class about that," he told reporters.

"I'm very confident that Victorians will use these services. I'm very confident that this is good for safety. It's good for the economic activity in our city and our state."

Mr Andrews said having people spill onto the streets at 2am or 3am with nowhere to go was a recipe for crime and danger.

Trains would run on the hour from 2am, with Protective Services Officers on duty to patrol stations.

All night public transport on weekends would begin from New Year's Eve 2015, with the trial to run for 12 months.


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