Getting to Deakin: save money and time with these travel options
How are you planning to travel to campus this year?
There are plenty of convenient transport options available for you to choose. Driving isn’t the only way to get to campus, and using public transport or other alternatives will not only help us make Deakin campuses more sustainable, they could save you money, time and a lot of hassle. You might even find you’ll enjoy added benefits such as fitting more incidental physical activity into your day and extra time to read, listen to music or just unwind.
Check out some of the simple ways you can travel to Deakin by public transport or other alternative means.
Public transport
There are several options when it comes to catching public transport to our campuses. All Deakin campuses are conveniently located near train, tram or bus stops and are easily accessible from almost anywhere you may live. Check out Public Transport Victoria (PTV) for more information and to plan your journey.
But what about COVID?
Finding your way through a congested railway platform, or hunting down a seat next to a stranger on a crowded bus contradicts everything we’ve been taught during COVID. So, after a year of restrictions and isolation, how confident do you feel about using public transport services again?
Recognising that many of us may be hesitant about returning to public transport, the Department of Transport has launched its new campaign, ‘We’re ready when you are’ to incentivise commuters to return to using public transport. Improvements include alleviating crowding with increased services for both metro and regional areas, and the introduction of RideSpace, an online tool that lets you see real-time passenger volumes on trains, platforms and stations (only available for metro services at this stage). Other incentives include 30% fare discounts, increased cleaning measures, and more options for cashless and contactless ticket purchasing.
Geelong intercampus buses
We have several dedicated Deakin buses that service our Geelong campuses for free. There is an intercampus bus that regularly travels between Waterfront and Waurn Ponds.
You can also ‘park and ride’ your way to the Geelong campuses to avoid paying parking fees while still enjoying an easy trip to uni! Free parking is available at BVAC (Barwon Valley Activity Centre, located on Barwon Heads Road, opposite Kmart Belmont). All students can park their cars in the BVAC car park and catch our intercampus shuttle bus to either of the Geelong campuses.
WiFi is available on board and the buses operate at approximately 30 minute intervals, so they are super convenient. The Current Students website has more information and current timetables.
Active transport
If you live reasonably close to campus, walking or cycling are great options that benefit both your health and the environment, while saving you money and car parking hassles. To support your active commute, we have showers, change rooms, lockers and bike hubs available on all campuses. Our beautifully green campuses are best experienced on foot or two wheels, so consider giving active transport a go if it’s an option.
Carpooling
Carpooling to Deakin has been made super easy with the new Liftango app, that matches Deakin staff and students who share similar journeys to and from Deakin campuses. New procedures are currently in development to ensure a COVIDSafe approach to carpooling, so watch this space as we’ll release more information soon.
Still need to drive?
If alternative transport options aren’t viable for your circumstances, remember parking is available on all of Deakin’s campuses but please note it is limited and permits are required (following a temporary break, parking permits will be required from Monday 15 March 2021). There are different options for how you pay for parking in different areas, so make sure you read our parking webpage. The best way to pay for short-term parking (which can be purchased on a casual, hourly or daily basis) is to use CellOPark, a ‘pay-as-you-go’ app, where you only pay for what you use.
See you soon!
Visit our transport websites for Burwood, Waurn Ponds, Waterfront and Warrnambool for more detailed information about getting to your campus, and remember you must adhere to Deakin’s COVIDSafe rules when visiting campus. Safe travels!