Would you like to see public transport made free for students? File photos.
The ACT Labor party has set the wheels into motion to provide free public transport for ACT school and university students but said its priority still remains in making the current network more accessible.
During ACT Labor’s annual party conference on Saturday (21 July), party members voted in favour of the motion to make public transport free for all students carrying a MyWay card in the nation’s capital.
Though the party has thrown its support behind the idea, an ACT Government spokesperson said new Transport Minister Chris Steel’s preference is to expand services rather than offer free services.
“We welcome debate and motions put forward at the party conference and while free public transport for students is now part of the ACT Labor party platform, it is not currently government policy,” the spokesperson said.
“We will consider it in the development of future government policies, however in the first instance it is the Government’s preference to expand services making our transport network more accessible for all Canberrans, rather than offering free services.”
Canberrans took more than 1,629,000 journeys during the first three weeks of free public transport offered by the ACT Government after launching the new network.
During the month of free travel, the light rail network recorded an average of 106,279 boardings per week and a daily average of 17,297 on working days, causing Transport Canberra to add more vehicles running on the network.
Community groups wish to see more frequent services and greater accessibility before free services are introduced.
ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations spokesperson Janelle Kennard said parents have told the council that their concern with the current public transport network is safety and accessibility, not affordability.
“We would like to see the current network improved first before we start talking about free transport for students,” Ms Kennard said. “It is more important that kids can get to where they need to go in a timely and safe manner than for public transport to be free.
“I think it is a great thing to aspire to but we are still concerned about the safety and difficulties of families being poorly connected to their school that need to be fixed first.
“If there is extra money to be looking at free rides, we rather that they look at more frequent services to reduce overcrowding and to reduce wait times. Some students are waiting up to 35 minutes after the bell to leave school.
“We would like services to be taken directly to the school rather than stopping at a distance from the school. These are the things that we would like to see invested in rather than a bit of a giveaway.”
Liberal spokesperson Candice Burch agreed.
“It’s all well and good to provide students free travel, but what good is free public transport when there are no buses to catch?” she said. “Labor and the Greens have cut hundreds of dedicated school buses, buses to universities and weekend services.
“First things first – let’s give them a bus to catch.”
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Free travel, what a joke, how about reinstating the lost bus in the first place!
The same people that get annoyed about cancellation of running expensive near empty buses, complain about something that would potentially increase bus usage/benefit those on a low income.
It won’t be free. It will be paid for with another rate increase. The money has to come from somewhere.
Angela Ryan...like NSW.
$50 per boy per term...work that saving out if it happens.
People with a disability should be included too as part of their NDIS plan.
Is this another attempt to inflate usage numbers and show how good the new network is? 😂😂😂
David Brown why on earth would Labor rank and file care about inflating usage numbers when deciding the policy platform, the values document of the party?
Some times cynicism can take you to the level of absurdity mate.
David Brown ahh yes, you mean how this Government has started dealing with the under usage of Canberra's public transport (worst of the country) by delivering record levels of daily journeys. But thats inflating numbers..
Action do the very best they can. I know they take concerns seriously and will keep working at it like they have done in the past to get it right.
Could provide a solution to many parking problems at UC, CIT etc.
I would assume this includes our biggest public education provider? CIT students?
Gerard Dwyer yes of course
What a good idea.... if it means better behaved patrons.
Fitsharris position is up for grabs in city news the nominees will be decided 24.july
Well under Fitszharris they stuffed up the school bus services so they should be fee Qld Does.
MLAs aren't as keen on this as the party rank and file? How surprising.
Must be an election coming
October next year I think
Thats what politics is, implementing policies that are popular with the constituents; if not get voted out.
Hmmm i can see the rates being jacked up for this now.
I have lived in Canberra for 19 years, have witnessed several changes to the transport system over that time. I’ve always managed to adapt within a short space of time. However the changes to the current system are so major, so difficult, that I am still trying to work out the new system. Partly that is because I travel to several different destinations, partly because the Journey Planner is not easy to use. Even the route maps aren’t clear; it is hard to see where the stops are. Please sort out the current transport system first.
Trish Roberts iv been Canberra 55 years we paid 2c a ride then it went up to .5c
The old system was better to under srand easy's too use. Better services the net work was designed the way New York networks according to Fitszharris as stated we dont want to end up like N.Y . But
New York is constructed in squares - very different!
William, that’s no good! Just as Barr doesn’t want to hear the opinions of older people, he won’t consider the transport needs of the elderly or sick (I’m in those categories!).
🙄 yawn....I’ll believe it when I see it....they broke it just so they can claim credit when it’s “fixed”
broke what?
The issue with this is that we are again subsidising those students going to "out of catchment" schools so this policy would be in direct conflict with the policy that is desirous that students go to public schools in their local area (not just a planning issue, but also has social policy outcomes).
I very much doubt that public transport is a huge factor when parents decide to enroll their child in an out of area school. It is their right to do so and is up to the school whether they accept their enrolment. And if they are accepted, why would they not be allowed to take advantage of free public transport?
Lin Van Oevelen As I mentioned it then conflicts with other government policies - my concern is the lack of cohesive broad policy settings across the ACT
I really cannot see a need to tie public transport fees in with school enrolment policy?
And things aren't as clear cut in that regard either. Lots of kids these days have two homes in different parts of Canberra.
This is why they got ride of free student bus travel once before but so many schools have been shut down since then and not every child has a school within walking distance anymore. Even then a in area school is not always best suited to that child
When we lived in both Qld and NSW our children could receive free school travel if we lived in the school catchment area but also lived a certain distance from the school.
Our public in area school for high school is nearly 7kms away, which is a bit far on poor weather days. Our kid cycles, but that doesn't suit everyone.
I do think it’s something to look at for the future. But I agree with Minister Steele that they have to actually fix the current network before making the buses free.
No good if a poor kid in Richardson or Gilmore can’t even get a reasonable bus service , but a wealthy kid in Campbell gets a free bus to Canberra Grammar school.
Why should a low income worker in Charnwood pay for his bus to Civic, but not a wealthy student in Griffith?