The Coalition plans to cap public transport costs at $2 a day for all but V/Line train services

The Coalition has promised to slash the cost of public transport to just $2 a day for everything but V/Line train travel if elected.

Metro train and other travel costs will be slashed but V/Line service charges to regional cities will remain unchanged. Picture: Sarah Matray

The Coalition has pledged to slash the cost of public transport to just $2 a day on all but V/Line train services if Matthew Guy is elected in November.

The plan, which would cost nearly $1.3bn over four years, is estimated to save families that typically use trains, trams and buses about $3500 a year.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy on Sunday promised to introduce a single flat fare across most of the public transport network if he forms government, reducing daily zone one and two fares from $9.20 to a capped daily cost of $2, with concession prices limited to $1.

Passengers would touch on for their first journey, be charged a single fare and would not pay any additional money on trips for the rest of the day.

The Coalition estimates this would cover about 1.6m weekday journeys, including public transport travel on buses in and around regional cities and towns.

Fares for V/Line services between Melbourne and regional cities would remain unchanged.

Fares will be slashed to just $2 a day on all metro train services. Picture: AAP

The $2 cap would remain in place for at least four years.

Independent costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office predict the flat fare scheme would cost the state nearly $1.3bn over four years.

The bold plan has been widely embraced by suburban Victorians but disappointed regional travellers.

“Good luck to the city slickers on this policy . . . and bad luck for the country folks that only have V/Line. Talk about not giving a stuff about regional Victoria and only focusing on metro Melbourne,” one regional Victorian said.

Others claimed on social media the Opposition plan “forgot” about regional Victoria, and assumed “cost of living pressures don’t exist beyond Melbourne” and “isolated regional people”.

V/Line schedules nearly 2000 train services weekly, with trains running between Melbourne and Geelong, as well as to and from Warrnambool, Ballarat, Maryborough, Ararat, Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca, Seymour, Shepparton, Albury, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale.

Increasing numbers of Victorians also live in the regional cites of Geelong and Ballarat, with many commuting to Melbourne by train for work.

Nearly 18 million passenger journeys were made on V/Line services in the 12 months to June 2020.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said: “Behind keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, transport is one of the biggest costs for thousands of families’ bottom lines.

“By reigning in Labor’s spiralling debt, Victorian students, workers and households will be better supported under the our strong long-term economic plan.

“Under our plan, families will enjoy cheaper train, tram and bus fares all day, every day, and put those savings back into what really matters.”

Tram travel will also be included in the $2 a day cap. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The state’s infrastructure body has repeatedly recommended that governments make public transport fares more affordable to get millions of people off roads and onto public transport.

They estimate about 70 per cent of the state’s bus services during peak hour are running at less than one third of capacity.

To address this, Infrastructure Victoria has called for low off-peak charges and more flexible pricing depending on the mode of transport and how far it travels.

The Coalition claim the reform is the biggest public transport cost reduction in Australian history.

Opposition public transport spokesman Danny O’Brien said the $2 cap would be a game changer.

“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,” he said.

“This is an effective and commonsense way to get more people on board, reduce car dependency, as well as reduce emissions.”

A previous election pledge to provide free public transport for healthcare workers will remain and the free tram zone in the CBD will not be altered.

Myki fares are typically reviewed every year and changes are considered alongside the rate of inflation.

There were more 605m trips across Victoria’s public transport system in 2018-19.

Opposition public transport spokesman Danny O’Brien said the $2 cap would encourage people to take the train.

Passengers have been slowly returning to the network were lifted but patronage is not yet back to pre-pandemic levels.

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan slammed the $2 flat fee policy, saying the Coalition can’t be trusted.

“Victorians know they can’t trust Matthew Guy and the Liberals when it comes to public transport and particularly when they won’t explain their own costings behind their own policies,” Ms Allan said.

“Victorian families know too well that it’s Liberals who cut train services, it’s the Liberal Party that privatised the train network.”

Ms Allan urged opposition leader Matthew Guy and the Liberal Party to explain how they plan to fund their near $1.3 billion public transport commitment over four years.

“We’ve already seen them make a raft of commitments whether it’s in hospitals, or whether it’s in transport, where clearly their costings don’t add up,” she said.

“It’s really up to them to explain their costings and how they’ve come at these numbers.”

Premier Daniel Andrews said that Victorians should make their own judgments regarding the upcoming state election on November 26, warning that when the Liberals were last in government they were responsible for “the biggest single increase in public transport fares.”

“People can look at their record, people can look at their promises and make their own judgments.”

Mr Andrew’s said his focus was currently on proving a positive and optimistic plan for Victorians and that more announcements will be made between now and the election.

Originally published as The Coalition plans to cap public transport costs at $2 a day for all but V/Line train services