Media release – Jeremy Rockliff Premier, Minister for State Development, Trade and the Antarctic, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Member for Braddon; Michael FergusonDeputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Planning, Member for Bass, 21 February 2024
Half price bus fares for Tasmanians
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has a 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will halve bus fares as part of our plan to reduce cost of living pressures.
Under our plan, bus fares on Metro and rural routes, as well as Derwent ferries, will be cut in half from 1 June this year, to 30 June 2025.
“School buses, general access buses, ferries across all fare types including adults, students and concession passengers will benefit from this measure,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.
“This will make a real hip-pocket difference to hundreds of thousands of Tasmanians.
“Under our commitment, a typical Metro fare will halve from $3.50 to $1.75. This means a Tasmanian who catches a bus to and from work every day of the working week will save $17.50 a week.
“That saving is even bigger for regional Tasmanians. The bus fare from Smithton to Burnie halves from $16 to $8 and Hobart to Huonville goes down to just $4.40.
“We know that every dollar counts, and that’s why we are taking immediate action to provide cost of living support to all Tasmanians.”
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson, said that the measure will also increase public transport patronage, including encouraging more people to use public transport for the first time, boosting mode-shift which reduces congestion on our roads.
“Every person who takes a bus is potentially a vehicle off the road network, whether that’s on the Tasman Bridge or Wellington St in Launceston,” Mr Ferguson said.
“I’m delighted that we can extend this discount to Derwent ferry passengers, and this too will drive further patronage to the highly successful ferry service we introduced.”
Another key improvement for our public transport network will be the introduction of a common ticketing system later this year, enabling one transaction per passenger travelling between rural areas and the Metro network.
This new system will include real time monitoring of bus services enabling passengers to track their bus arrival times and plan for more time at home and less time at the bus stop.
A re-elected Liberal Government will also take control of bus routes to deliver better services.
“We know that Metro Tasmania has struggled to deliver all its services due to a lack of drivers,” Mr Ferguson said.
“That’s why we’ve already committed $8.1 million as a support package to overcome this shortage and we will secure network and timetable efficiencies to restore service delivery.”
“Only a majority Liberal Government will deliver cost of living measures that will benefit all Tasmanians.”
We will invest $14 million to deliver half price fares, and $15 million over four years for better service delivery.
Featured image above supplied.
Media release – Josh Willie Shadow Minister for Transport, 21 February 2024
Unity ticket on half price fares, but with one key difference
A Rebecca White Labor Government will match the Liberals’ promise of half price public transport fares for one year, but we won’t stop there.
Our cost-of-living public transport commitment comes with one key difference – a Labor government will also commit to rebuilding Metro so Tasmanians can again rely on public transport.
After 10 years asleep at the wheel in government, the Liberals have driven Metro into the ground.
Their treatment of the state’s primary public transport provider and its workers has led to 180 services being indefinitely cancelled, destroying the confidence Tasmanians have in Metro.
If they haven’t fixed the issues after 10 years in government, why should Tasmanians believe this latest promise and give them 14 years?
A Labor government will commit to rebuilding Metro, restoring services and ensuring drivers and mechanics are respected and retained in the business.
It’s time for a better future where people can rely on public transport, and that future is with Labor.
Media release – Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT), 21 February 2024
YNOT Welcomes Election Commitment to Halve the Cost of Bus Fares
“As someone from a lower income family, I have often felt excluded from things just because I can’t afford to even GET there!” TYF participant
The Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) welcomes today’s election commitment from the Tasmanian Liberal Party to immediately halve the cost of public transport to ease cost of living pressures for Tasmanians.
We know that transport costs for many young Tasmanians are prohibitive, particularly for young people on low or no income or living outside city centres.
From missing school to being stranded after hours for lengthy periods young people tell us that inaccessible and unreliable public transport has a major impact had on their lives.
Access to affordable, accessible, and reliable public transport is essential to support young people, including those with disabilities, to fully participate in community life including work, education and training, sporting and recreational activities and accessing essential services.
Today’s announcement will help ease the cost-of-living pressures for young people and their families and will go some way to improving the reliability of public transport though real time monitoring of buses.
Editor’s note: we informed YNOT that Labor had announced their support for the policy, and that the Greens had already put out a policy for free fares in September last year. YNOT have chosen not to update their statement which only expresses support for the Liberal Party policy.
Media release – Vica Bayley MP, Greens Transport spokesperson, 21 February 2024
Action on Bus Fares Welcome – Must Go Further
After repeatedly denying the cost of public transport was an issue, and saying there was nothing the government could do in this important space, Michael Ferguson has finally acknowledged a better approach is possible with his promise to halve the cost of bus and ferry fares.
The Greens have been fighting hard for action on the cost of public transport throughout the last term of Parliament, and by continuing to campaign on this issue we’ve pushed the Liberals into a space they never wanted to be – taking action on fare prices.
While this announcement is a big step forward – a step that wouldn’t have happened without the Greens – it also doesn’t go far enough, and we need to see both major parties commit to making public transport completely free.
Much of the benefit of making public transport free is ease of access, faster boarding times, and reduced conflict with bus drivers over fares. While halving costs is great, with the Greens in balance of power we will be fighting to go the whole way and making it free, rather than pursuing half-measures
The interesting thing about this new announcement is that it completely contradicts statements Michael Ferguson made just a few months ago. During debate on a Greens proposal to make public transport free, he said:
“If we did what the Greens are proposing, you would be withdrawing finances out of public transport… any initiative in this space from the Greens will lead to a direct withdrawal of finances from public transport in Tasmania. That is not a recipe for route expansion, park and ride, or better innovation occurring in public transport, which is what this Government stands for.”*
Well, going by Michael Ferguson’s logic, with his new announcement he’s just halved the amount of funding available for public transport investment in Tasmania. Of course this logic just never made sense, as the Treasurer has now admitted.
Now that Michael Ferguson has accepted the cost of transport is a real issue, and admitted that government investment can replace fare revenue, the question is why doesn’t he now just take the obvious next step by making public transport free?
*Question Time – 13 September 2023
Media release – David O’Byrne, Independent for Franklin, 21 February 2024
Half price fares for a half collapsed public transport system
“The Liberals’ announcement of cheaper public transport fares is an absolute farce, given they slashed nearly one thousand weekly Metro services in Hobart just six months ago.
“After massive service cuts and years of worsening reliability, our public transport network simply isn’t meeting the needs of commuters. Half price fares won’t fix that.
“Reducing bus fares is a fantastic initiative, but the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how cheap the tickets are if the bus doesn’t actually turn up.
“This is a last-ditch attempt by the Liberals to dupe Tasmanians into believing that they care about public transport after a decade of failing to invest in it.
“The Liberals should think about delivering on their 2018 public transport election commitments such as the smart ticketing system and underground bus mall before they start making new ones.”
Media release – TasCOSS, 21 February 2024
Reliable, affordable public transport key to breaking down barriers to participation
In our conversations with Tasmanians about their daily challenges, accessible, timely and affordable transport ranks highly. It’s a particularly significant barrier to participation in the outer suburbs and regional and remote Tasmania.
TasCOSS CEO, Ms Adrienne Picone, said the lack of viable public transport creates many barriers for Tasmanians.
“Access to affordable and reliable public transport opens up employment, education and training opportunities, and is vital in accessing basic needs such grocery shopping, health care, childcare and other essential supports,” said Ms Picone.
“TasCOSS recognises the announcement from the Tasmanian Liberals of half-price bus fares for Tasmanians will help to ease the cost of living pressures households are under, but the inititive must be extended beyond the initial 13 months in a targeted way to maximise benefit to those who can least afford it. We also call for further action to ensure public transport is accessible, reliable and convenient.
“Public transport, and in particular bus services, must be accessible for people most vulnerable to transport disadvantage, including young people, students, people with disability and older Tasmanians.”
Disability Voices Tasmania Executive Officer, Mr Vaughn Bennison, said Tasmania is geographically a small state, yet for people with disability it is incredibly hard to navigate.
“More needs to be done to improve access to infrastructure, make timetables and bus locations accessible, and provide better training for transport operators and drivers,” Mr Bennison said.
Ms Picone said TasCOSS would welcome additional measures that ensure Tasmanians have improved access to public transport.
TasCOSS is calling for:
- Free fares for those who can least afford it — students, seniors, concession card holders and people on low incomes.
- Greater investment in making public transport more inclusive, particularly for the one-in-four Tasmanians living with disability, such as updating Metro Tasmania’s Disability Action Plan and expanding the Transport Access Scheme to include rideshare services, such as Uber.
- Ensure any network and timetable changes are designed in consultation with communities and prioritise areas of transport disadvantage.
Media release – Independent candidate for Clark, Sue Hickey, 21 February 2024
Hickey says transport changes should be permanent
Independent candidate for Clark, Sue Hickey, said the Government’s half-price Metro fare announcement, matched by Labor, should be made permanent and not simply be implemented for 12 months as an election stunt.
Ms Hickey said she supported the fare reductions, but they should not end on June 30 next year.
“If it’s good enough as a vote buying stunt for the Government, then it’s good enough to implement as an ongoing measure.
“The cost-of-living challenges confronting Tasmanian families will not disappear overnight and reducing transport costs can make a difference.
“Access to affordable and reliable public transport is necessary for employment, education, and training opportunities, and to access basic needs such grocery shopping, health services, childcare and other essential supports.
“These basic community needs shouldn’t have to wait until an election to gain the attention of the major political parties.
“If elected, I will immediately move to make the fare reductions permanent,” Ms Hickey said.
