Millions to save as transport fees slashed to 50 cents in one state

Millions of Australians are set to save as public transport fees on buses, trains, trams, ferries and airport trains are slashed.

Millions of Australians are set to save as public transport fares are slashed in one state.

Queensland’s 50 cent fare initiative is set to kick off on Monday, with commuters expected to save $150m over the six month trial period.

Buses, trains, trams and ferries will now have a 50 cent flat rate regardless of how far people are travelling.

Airtrain fares have also been cut in half, down to $10.95 for go cards and Smart Ticketing users, and $11 for paper ticket customers.

A penalty of $2.50 will be applied for those who don’t tap off.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said the move would get long distance travellers off busy roads. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he heard good feedback from commuters as he travelled into Central station by train from Mango Hill on Monday morning.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to this morning on the train and here at Central Station has been really positive,” he said at a press conference at Central Station on Monday morning.

“Most of them have worked out to the dollar how much they’re saving with 50 cent fares and they’re really supportive.”

Mr Miles added a decision would be made “as time goes by” as to whether to keep the cheap fares, with a close eye on restoring public transport usage to pre-Covid levels.

“What we’ve said is if this is successful we’ll keep it, but for it to be successful people have to use it,” he said.

“We’ll be monitoring very closely how many additional people use our public transport services, and if we can see a return to those pre-Covid levels then I think that would be a really good result.

“That would see lots of Queenslanders saving money on their daily commute. We’ll keep track of that and make decisions as time goes by.”

Mr Miles also noted that public transport might be a bit busier than usual on Monday with the slashed fares. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Mr Miles previously said modes of public transport may be a bit busier than usual on Monday, but assured Queenslanders the government will be “keeping a close eye on our networks at every step”.

“It’s always struck me that we charge the people who travel the furthest the most, when those are likely the people who can least afford it,” he said.

“And, those are the long distance travellers that we want to get off our busy roads, like the M1 and Bruce Highway.

“Ultimately, this will save those who are already catching the bus or train a lot of money and save those who are driving even more.”

However the smart ticketing initiative allowing commuters to use their credit cards and smartphones to tap on public transport is tipped to cost $22.8m more than initially anticipated.

The program is set to cost about $400m and take seven years to complete, according to The Courier-Mail, despite first being announced in 2018 and promised to be delivered in four years.

The timeline has now reportedly been stretched out to mid-2025, with $510,000 set aside for the smart ticketing program.

As a result travellers will still need to use their Go Card on buses, while credit cards and smartphones can be used to pay for the slashed fares on trains, ferries and trams.

The Courier-Mail reported smart ticketing is expected before the end of 2024.

Originally published as Millions to save as transport fees slashed to 50 cents in one state