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Cheaper buses, trains pledged

Stefan Bradley

FLAT-RATE $2-a-day public transport charges across cities and towns will be introduced should the Coalition win government next month. Last week the opposition flagged a policy that would have metropolitan bus, tram and and train fares, as well as non-V/Line regional city and town services, capped at $2 every day, or $1 for concession. Then a few days later, the Coalition said it would halve V/Line fares for the next four years and if the train was replaced by a bus, passengers would travel free. Shadow Minister for Public Transport and Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien, said the $2-flat fare was a game changer for Victorians. “By making fares more affordable, it will encourage more people to use public transport as their first choice to get around both the city and the regions,” Mr O’Brien said. “This is an effective and commonsense way to get more people on board, reduce car dependency, as well as reduce emissions.” The $2 policy is expected to cost $1.3 billion across four years, according to independent costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the opposition couldn’t be trusted with the $2-fare plan. “You can’t trust Matthew Guy’s Liberals when it comes to public transport - they cut train lines, closed train stations and then sold off public transport, sending ticket prices soaring,” she said. The government made its own transport announcements this week, including a plan to remove all level crossings on the Frankston Line by 2029. Mr O’Brien said reducing the cost of public transport right across Victoria was key to improving accessibility by easing hip-pocket pressure. “Right now, a return trip on the Gippsland line to Southern Cross for an average family of four will set you back around $160,” Mr O’Brien said. “Under The Nationals in government that will be slashed to less than $80. “We know the frustration of Gippslanders expecting a train only to find it has been cancelled, so in addition to half-price fares, unscheduled V/Line train replacement buses will be completely free,”

Shadow Minister for Public Transport and Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien says The Nationals, if elected, will halve V/Line fares. Photo: Contributed

he said. “Local town buses in places like Sale will cost just $2 per day. The Nationals will keep more money in the pocket of Gippslanders, while at the same time stimulating tourism and making it easier to get around our state. “As well as saving money for public transport users, this commitment will help ease road congestion and encourage more sustainable transport choices, which includes local buses in regional Victoria,” Mr O’Brien said. “Travel costs shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing education, employment or going about everyday life and under The Nationals and Liberals’ plan, Gippslanders will get the cheap, easy commute they deserve.” The Coalition has not released independent costing of the V/Line policy from the PBO, but it’s expected to cost $185 million. The Animal Justice Party’s (AJP) lead Upper House candidate for Eastern Victoria Austin Cram said the party supported any “sensible fare reduction” to get more cars off the road and ease the cost of living. “As a practising town planner, I recognise the value of investing into our public transport system as a lower-emission and more accessible alternative to a car-focused system,” he said. “Public transport needs to be an attractive alternative to private cars, not a back-up plan.” While the policies are aimed at increasing use of public transport, they do not include any commitments to additional train services. Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria Mat Morgan said reducing the cost of V/Line services did not solve the problem of passenger capacity. “If you’ve ever got on one of those V/Line trains, you know that there is no more capacity on those trains,” he said. “Yes, we need cheap public transport. But we need more trains and we need more transport infrastructure. Just cheapening the price is not going to solve anything,” he said. Now, just three V/Line passenger rail services operate daily between Sale and Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, with local residents having to travel by road to Traralgon for additional services. In August leaders from the Committee for Wellington, Wellington Shire Council and the Sale Business and Tourism Association called for train services between Sale and Southern Cross to increase from three a day, to five a day. The Gippsland Times asked Mr O’Brien if he supported the push for five services a day as he had called for more services on the Gippsland line in parliament months ago. “I’ve been campaigning for better services to Sale and beyond for many years,” Mr O’Brien said. “We have a number of policy and local announcements in the pipeline and will have more to say in the lead up to the election.”