THE Department of Transport is “ramping up” efforts to protect regional Victorians, who emerged from stay-at-home restrictions last week.
The department said officers will be stationed at regional stations, as well as Southern Cross in Melbourne, to support Victoria Police’s Operation Guardian to ensure people are travelling only for one of the five permitted reasons.
COVID-19 restrictions eased for regional Victoria, except Shepparton, last week allowing people to travel throughout the regions with retail and hospitality outlets allowed to reopen with density limits.
Department of Transport head of transport services Nick Foa said double the number of multi-modal public transport authorised officers would be out on the network.
“Our message to Melburnians is clear – do not travel to regional Victoria for the wrong reasons – you will be caught and turned away,” Mr Foa said.
He said the focus would be on regional interchange stations including Southern Cross.
Under Operation Guardian, 200 police have been monitoring key arterial roads, back roads and public transport networks to ensure everyone travelling into regional Victoria is doing so for lawful reasons.
Joint patrols are being undertaken by public transport staff and Victoria Police and anyone who is deliberately or obviously flouting travel restrictions, faces a fine of $5452.
“We all need to follow the rules to make sure we contain the spread of coronavirus and save lives,” Mr Foa said.
In metropolitan Melbourne, there are currently only five reasons to leave home – for essential food and supplies, authorised work, care and caregiving, exercise, and getting vaccinated.
Masks must be worn everywhere, except in the home.
QR codes have also been rolled out across the public transport network to keep passengers safe, support the Department of Health’s contact tracing efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
