Public transport fares in Victoria will be capped at $30 a week if the Labor government is re-elected next month. The premier, Ben Carroll, on Monday said the fare cap would begin on 1 January, the day after half-price fares end. The discounted fares were introduced after a period of free public transport in response to the fuel crisis sparked by the US-Iran war.
The government said the cap was not sustainable in the long-term and would be funded through “commonsense decisions to reduce spending” in other areas. The Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, urged the government to go further and make public transport free. We need more frequent, reliable and accessible trains, trams and buses that people can actually depend on.” The commitment follows Labor’s pledge on Sunday to cap road tolls at $30 per week for a year, saving drivers who regularly use them as much as $5,000.
The Coalition had previously committed to a $50-a-week toll cap if elected in November. She said Labor could not be trusted to lower tolls, given they had consistently increased them in their 12 years in government.
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