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Why free public transport is a terrible idea
Australia’s urban sprawl makes mass transit extraordinarily expensive, and the fare experiments in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland aren’t helping.
Once you make something free, it’s hard to start charging. And should we charge for public transport? We might not like what we get if we don’t. Kate Geraghty
Whether as a response to the oil crisis or just sheer political expediency, Australia has recently embarked on a populist experiment in mass transit.
In Victoria, public transport is free for the second month running, and will be half-price for the rest of the year. Tasmania’s buses and ferries are free until July. Both states have tied their concessions to the fuel crisis.
Victoria's free public transport continues in May with half-price fares to follow
Victorians will be paying no or reduced fares for public transport until the end of the year. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
The Victorian government is extending its free public transport initiative for another month to include May.
Public transport fares across both metro and regional networks will then be half price from June 1 until the end of the year.
Public transport will be free in Victoria for another month, and fares will then be slashed by half until the rest of the year, the Victorian government has announced.
The extension of the free public transport initiative has been designed to help curb demand for fuel and provide economic relief amid the knock-on effects of the conflict with Iran.
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Enjoying free train rides? Here’s what it would cost to make it permanent
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Free public transport would cost Victoria $1 billion a year if made permanent – a move being urged by the state Greens but which transport experts caution would divert funds needed to expand and improve services.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday announced that her government would extend its free public transport policy for a second month, with free travel until the end of May, followed by half-price fares until the end of 2026.
Labor says the initiatives – intended to deliver hip-pocket relief and reduce fuel demand during the oil crisis – will cost about $400 million, with discounted travel to end a month after the November state election.
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