In Tasmania, it’s already happened once. For five weeks last year post-pandemic and as cost of living was biting, bus services — both Metro buses and private operators — stopped collecting fares.
The state government says the move cost them $2.3 million.
But now the Greens are pushing to make it permanent for at least Metro buses, servicing Hobart, Launceston and the Burnie region.
A Greens’ bill that would ban Metro Tasmania from charging passengers to ride on its bus services was debated — and defeated — in the state parliament on Wednesday.
The Greens argued that making public transport in Tasmania free would save commuters money, make it easier for people on low incomes to access transport, and reduce traffic congestion by removing cars from roads.
Both the Liberal government and the Labor opposition didn’t support the Greens’ proposal.
In justifying its rejection, the government said it already offered significant concessions on fares for students, seniors, people with disabilities, military veterans and people on low incomes.
It argued fare revenue helped pay for bus services, route expansions and investment in new and upgraded buses.
The Greens’ bill only covered Metro Tasmania, which serves Tasmania’s biggest cities — Hobart, Launceston and the Burnie region.
The party said that was because the parliament could only deal with Metro and not the third-party providers the government contracts to provide bus services in rural areas.
Some experts say fare-free public transport would be a boon for people on low incomes who otherwise wouldn’t travel as much, and may even convince others to give up their cars, reducing road congestion.
“It’s probably more common than you think for people on lower incomes to limit their public transport usage because the costs add up,” University of New South Wales lecturer in urban design and landscape architecture Dr Mike Harris said
Urban geographer and transport economist Robert Cotgrove doesn’t believe fare-free public transport would attract enough extra passengers to offset the added cost.
(ABC)
