( MENAFN - The Conversation) As part of a six-month trial, public transport fares in Queensland will soon be slashed to just 50 cents per trip for everyone. The cheap fares will apply to all trips on buses, light rail, trains, and ferries, over any distance, in cities and towns that are part of the Translink network. Very-low flat fares have become fashionable policy as governments respond to cost of living pressures around the world.
In 2022, Germany experimented with a flat-rate €9 per-month rail pass over a 90-day period. And just last year, the UK government implemented a £2 fare cap on many single bus journeys in England. Last summer, Western Australia offered free public transport to SmartRider pass users for five weeks.
“Captive” users of public transport – who have limited access to private vehicles and few alternatives – would surely welcome such schemes. But who stands to benefit the most? Is offering free or nearly-free public transport a good policy idea? Some trips across Queensland will now be extraordinarily cheap. You'll be able to travel from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast for just 50 cents, if you don't mind a four-hour trip on trams, trains and buses.
At an individual level, adults travelling the longest distances will benefit most. But as a group, commuters in the inner and middle suburbs of Brisbane and tertiary students will enjoy most of the benefits. There are a few regional cities with well-frequented bus services, notably Townsville .
