Commuters could get cheaper public transport fares under City of Melbourne plan

Lord Mayor Sally Capp is standing by her plan to call on the state government to cut the cost of myki fares — despite doubts being raised about whether it would lure more people into the city.

City workers would get a cheaper commute under the plan. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Lord Mayor Sally Capp will call on the state government to cut the cost of myki fares for office workers, despite doubts being raised about the proposal.

Melburnians who commute in and out of the city on weekdays fork out $10.60 daily, if they touch on with a normal myki card.

But those travelling into the city on Mondays and Fridays would get cheaper fares under a City of Melbourne proposal approved by councillors on Tuesday night.

However, Daniel Bowen, from the Public Transport Users Association, is not convinced cheaper fares would entice commuters into the city on those days.

“We’ve seen from other cities that work from home remains popular, particularly on Mondays and Fridays — and Melbourne is no different,” he told the Herald Sun.

“It’s not clear that a discounted fare will change that.”

However, Ms Capp on Wednesday backed the proposal, telling 3AW that if the initiative brought more people into the city on the quieter days, it would be “worthwhile”.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp will advocate for cheaper public transport fares. Picture: Mark Stewart

She said it was her understanding that the state government was “open” to having the conversation.

But a state government spokesman on Wednesday said it was “already delivering fairer fares”, when asked whether it would consider the proposal.

“The regional fare cap … is saving Victorians millions of dollars, bringing thousands of visitors to Melbourne and boosting the city’s economy,” he said.

“This is on top of the extra services and free tram zone extensions we’ve delivered for major events, as well as the range of concession fares on offer.”

All 11 councillors at Town Hall on Tuesday night voted in favour of the proposal, which was put forward by the council’s city economy advisory committee.

Councillor Roshena Campbell says cheaper public transport on quieter days would be a ‘game-changer’. Photograph by Arsineh Houspian.

Councillor Roshena Campbell, who chairs the city economy advisory committee, said Melbourne’s CBD needed to be “firing on all cylinders”.

“Cheaper public transport on quiet days like Mondays and Fridays would be a game-changer for commuters and our city,” she said.

“Cost-of-living pressures are biting hard but by cutting transport costs, office workers would have an extra incentive to come in on Mondays and Fridays.

“Given Melbourne is the engine room of the Victorian economy, it is a worthwhile investment for our state to ensure it is booming.”

However, it is not yet known whether the council will lobby the state government to cut public transport fares on Mondays and Fridays by a couple of dollars or by half.

But Mr Bowen said Melburnians were now making more “non-work trips”, including to the CBD, in the evenings and on weekends.

“Authorities should jump on board by boosting public transport at these times,” he said.

“On most lines you’ll wait 30 minutes for a train in the evening and on much of the network, there’s only a train every 40 minutes on Sunday mornings.

“Melbourne is a seven-day city and our public transport services should reflect that.”

Melburnians who commute in and out of the city on a weekday fork out $10.60 for a daily fare. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A council report said the “rhythm” of the city had shifted since the pandemic, presenting “opportunities and challenges for businesses”.

While pedestrian activity in parts of the city during evenings has been up on pre-pandemic levels, commuter activity at Flinders St last year averaged only 61 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

But the report noted that figure was “steadily climbing”.

To boost Melbourne’s daytime economy, the committee put forward almost a dozen recommendations off the back of a summit involving 350 city stakeholders.

It included the recommendation that council “advocate for variable transport fare pricing to encourage city visitation, with a focus on office workers”.

“Attracting more people to take public transport into the city during lower volume periods, such as Mondays and Fridays, will drive economic activity on those days,” it stated.

According to the recommendation, the “next step” was for the Lord Mayor and chief executive Alison Leighton to “develop and deliver targeted advocacy efforts”.

The state government is being urged to cut the cost of public transport fares on Mondays and Fridays.

Ms Capp said the plan to advocate for cheaper public transport fares came from local businesses “who connect with Melburnians every day”.

“While foot traffic in parts of the city is the highest in nearly a decade, it’s important all aspects of our daytime economy are booming, including city worker activity,” she said.

The state government is no stranger to varying public transport fares, with Melburnians paying less to catch public transport on the weekend and “early birds” paying nothing if they touch on and off before 7.15am on weekdays.

V/Line fares were also slashed last year after former premier Daniel Andrews pledged at the 2022 state election to make it cheaper to travel on the regional rail network.

Other recommendations included upskilling international students through a paid internship program and making it easier to grant permits for busking, outdoor dining and street trading.

The councillors approved all the recommendations at a Future Melbourne committee meeting on Tuesday night.

“There is no single intervention that will accelerate Melbourne’s economic recovery,” the report concluded.

“Rather, these actions should be viewed as a comprehensive suite that will achieve impact over time.”