Student Bus Fare Hike

Media release – Department of State Growth, 3 November 2021

Student bus fare increase from 1 January 2022

From 1 January next year the student bus fare will increase by 10 cents if using a single trip ticket or 8 cents if using a smartcard or multi-trip ticket with the fares being $1.90 and $1.52 respectively.

Fare increases are scheduled every two years in-line with inflation however the 2021 increase was deferred for 12 months, giving student passengers and parents a full additional year’s fare increase holiday.

Having enjoyed the year-long fare increase holiday on all services across the state, the 1 January rise is aligned with CPI-based inflation levels.

It still costs students the same on every trip, every day of the week – it doesn’t matter how far, where, or when you go – and students needing multiple buses to get to school can transfer for free.

Eligible students can obtain a free travel pass for travel to and from school.

Buses that travel only in a rural area to the local school remain fare-free for students.

The increase is being advised well in advance through schools, providers and the community to allow time for parents to adjust.

The increase applies to all Tasmanian Government contracted general access and dedicated school services including Metro services.

Media release – Australian Education Union Tasmania, 3 November 2021

Student bus fare hike hurts students, not matched by wages

Free student bus travel should be the way forward for Tasmania, not unscrupulous fare hikes adding to cost of living pressures for families, the Australian Education Union Tasmania says.

AEU State President David Genford today slammed the state government’s announced 5.5 per cent student bus fare increase, saying the move would further disadvantage families.

He said free bus travel for all Tasmanian students to their local school would ease living costs and reduce traffic congestion.

Metro’s student fee rise comes just days after the organisation’s 2020/21 annual report showed “a higher proportion of lapsed student passengers returned to using Metro’s services as compared with adult and concession passengers.”

“It is unacceptable that, at a time when our state government should be doing all it takes to relieve costs for families, it is instead looking to capitalise on children who require public transport for the sake of their education and future,” Mr Genford said.

“Increasing fees is unjustifiable when this government refuses to grow wages, in line with other states, or provide additional and much-needed in-class support.

“A 5.5 per cent price increase – about $100 yearly for a family of three kids – means increased barriers to students attending school, when we should be doing everything we can to get children through the school gate.

“What would really help these families would be the $1800 a family of three kids would save yearly through free student bus travel.”

Mr Genford said free bus travel for students would have far-reaching benefits.

“Anyone who travels into the CBD for work notices the traffic relief we feel during school holidays,” he said.

“Getting more kids on buses is a widely-known way to reduce traffic congestion – hiking up bus fares is no way to incentivise public transport.”

Mr Genford said had the state government committed $762,000 in 2019 to free student bus travel – rather than handing the money to private consultants to study traffic solutions – more than 500,000 free student trips would have been created.