Gold Coast Mayor uses community cabinet to push for review of public transport fare zones

THE cost of using public transport on the Gold Coast could drop by 40 per cent under a plan put to the State Government by Mayor Tom Tate.

Minster Kate Jones MP and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate at the community cabinet meeting with Qld Police Commissioner Ian Stewart. Photo: Jerad Williams

THE cost of using public transport on the Gold Coast could drop by 40 per cent under a plan put to the State Government by Mayor Tom Tate.

Cr Tate met yesterday’s Community Cabinet meeting to propose a review and simplification of the travel zone system which governs the light and heavy rails and buses.

The Gold Coast mayor is pushing for a reduction in the cost of public transport. Photo: Mike Batterham

The Mayor led a city hall delegation including chief executive Dale Dickson, Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and governance boss William Owen-Jones to meet with Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk and table the idea.

Councillors want the zone system simplified and brought into line with Brisbane to give the Gold Coast a “fare go”.

“We want a fare go for the Gold Coast and when you look at the zoning of the city compared with Brisbane we have quite a lot more than they do,” Cr Tate said.

“This means it is 40 per cent cheaper to travel on public transport in Brisbane so we want this reviewed and brought into line with Brisbane.

“The Gold Coast is not asking for anything special, we just want a fare go.”

Tom Tate is pushing for a ‘fare go’ for Gold Coast commuters. Photo: Regi Varghese

There are six TransLink zones which make up central Brisbane going out as far as Cleveland, and Redcliffe while there are nine zones between Beenleigh and the border.

Travelling through one zone costs between $2.68 and $4.80.

Cr Tate argued that the revenue lost from changing the system would be regained through an increase in passenger across all forms of public transport.

“The side effect of all of these would be patronage would rise, there would be greater good w ill and a larger cash flow,” he said.

“We will work hand-in-glove with the government to find a solution but with light rail stage two underway now the time is right to pursue this.”