The region's police will conduct more checks at train stations in response to community concern.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While people can still travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria for essential study, work or caregiving, concern was raised this week that while police are operating a vehicle checkpoint on the freeway, there are not adequate checks around public transport so people could be travelling to the regions for the wrong reasons.
Acting Superintendent Damien Christensen said that while police have been conducting reassurance and compliance checks in public places across the region to ensure people are complying with the Chief Health Officers' directions, he will task more police to conduct checks around public transport to reassure the community.
Acting Superintendent Christensen said more members would be tasked to check Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Ballarat more often to ensure compliance.
While public transport is not crowded at the moment, he said people should still do the right thing by wearing a mask, maintaining hand hygiene and keeping a distance from others.
While local police have been conducting random checks at train stations, they are not permanently on the platform.
In addition to police checks at stations, transit police are regularly running high visibility patrols on metro and regional train lines to ensure the community is adhering to restrictions and to prevent anti-social behaviour.
This will be a focus for police on all regional train lines in Victoria in the next few weeks.
Police said that anyone who is deliberately, obviously or blatantly flouting the Chief Health Officer directions can expect to receive a fine.
In the 24 hours to Friday morning, police conducted 5007 spot checks on people at homes, businesses and public places across the state. They also issued 253 fines for restriction breaches.