To pay or not to pay? Photo: Michelle Kroll.
ACT Labor is promising to save Canberrans “hundreds of dollars on their travel costs” if re-elected next month with a fare-free Friday across all light-rail and bus services.
Under the plan, there’ll be no need to tap on and off buses with your MyWay or debit card between 5:30 am and 11 pm every Friday, and light rail between 6 am and 1 am on Friday and into Saturday morning.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said the move would be important cost of living relief for commuters but also an encouragement for Canberrans to use public transport and become familiar with the new MyWay+ ticketing system.
It would initially be a 12-month trial starting from the end of the six-week fare-free period in November, but Labor says over that time, it would save a family of two adults and two children about $1000.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the trial would cost a little under $6 million spread across two financial years.
Mr Barr said Friday was chosen because it was also a day people undertook recreation activities.
“So this will assist people to get to and from work if you’re working, and if you’re having a night out in one of our town centres or in the city.”
It would also help casual workers in retail for late night shopping and in hospitality.
Mr Steel said MyWay+ would be able to track patronage and provide important data that could guide other public transport incentives.
“This trial is going to be really useful to look at ways that we can incentivise people to use public transport in the future, and then we can look at how we build in those incentives over the long term,” Mr Steel said.
Mr Steel said public transport patronage was back to where it was pre-pandemic but more people were working from home and the pattern of travel was different.
“And so in certain days of the week we see less patronage on public transport,” he said.
“It tends to bump up during the middle of the week, and part of this initiative is looking at if there is a way of actually incentivising people to come back into the city onto public transport on certain days of the week.”
Mr Steel said if patronage rose on Fridays, that would mean looking at what other incentives could be provided.
“That’s not just to say that it could be provided just on Monday, but other tweaks to pricing that might see an incentive for particular users or at particular times of day,” he said.
Property Council ACT Executive Director Ashlee Berry said the move would boost property sector and broader business community hopes of bringing the CBD back to life and called on other parties to back the pledge.
“We asked for free or subsidised transport and parking on Mondays and Fridays to bring vibrancy back to the CBD and business hubs, and this is a fantastic first step – free public transport Fridays will help revitalise business hubs across Canberra,” Ms Berry said.
The Canberra Liberals have promised to a establish “free travel zone” in the city, and fares would be capped at $25 a week for adults for an estimated saving of between $5.50 and $19.70 a week for a regular commuter.
The ACT Greens have pledged that everyone under the age of 18, seniors and concession card holders will ride free across the public transport system in they formed government.
But Mr Steel said Labor’s policy would mean free public transport on Fridays for all users at all times of the day.
The current MyWay system upgrades to MyWay+ from 20 September, and there’ll be a fare-free period for all bus and light-rail services through to November as it makes the switch.
Under the new system, passengers can either tap on and off with a new MyWay+ card or a standard bank card. The same 90-minute transfer period will remain either way.
Canberrans are urged to register their current MyWay card online to avoid losing any existing balance.
The ACT election will be held on 19 October, with postal voting opening on 30 September and early voting on 8 October.
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