Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece gets on board for extended free tram zone in CBD

The city’s former Lord Mayor failed to deliver on her promise to extend the free tram zone, but now candidate Nick Reece has announced a new plan to make it happen as he chases the top job.

Melbourne’s free tram zone should be extended to include the education, sports and arts precincts near the CBD under a plan by lord mayoral candidate Nick Reece.

Mr Reece, the current Lord Mayor who is contesting the October election, said the plan would help with the cost of living and make life easier for the tens of thousands who travel by tram through the city every day.

Nick Reece wants the tram zone extended beyond the Hoddle Grid and Docklands. Picture: Jason Edwards

“Now is the time to extend the free tram zone – it’s just common sense, it will support our local businesses, ease the cost of living, particularly for students, and ensure that everyone can enjoy the very best our city has to offer.”

Mr Reece said he would work with the state government which has responsibility for public transport.

The policy is the same as his predecessor Sally Capp’s pledge in 2018 during her first tilt at Town Hall.

Melbourne’s free tram zone was introduced in 2015.

But that promise was never realised, although Ms Capp later said it would be “ideally be delivered when the Metro Tunnel Project is up and running” and when public transport in the city had more capacity.

The free tram zone was introduced in 2015 and covers the Hoddle Grid, Docklands and Queen Victoria Market.

Under Mr Reece’s plan, an enlarged free area would include the Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne Park, Melbourne Museum, the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

An enlarged free tram zone would see commuters able to travel to the Victorian Arts Centre and University of Melbourne at no cost. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr Reece also announced a policy for international students to gain access to travel concession fares like their local classmates.

“International students do so much to make our city great – it’s time they are able to access concession fares in the same way that local students do.”

Mr Reece and his running mate Roshena Campbell make up one of eight declared tickets for the election of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor.

The other teams are: Arron Wood and Erin Deering; Anthony Koutoufides and Intaj Khan; Labor’s Phil Reed and Virginia Wills; the Liberals’ Mariam Riza and Luke Martin; the Greens’ Roxane Ingleton and Marley McRae McLeod; Jamal Hakim and Esther Anatolitis; and Gary Morgan who has yet to announce his deputy candidate.

Nominations officially open on September 9.