Melburnians loved free PT. Let’s make it permanent

Melburnians loved free public transport. When public transport was free for two months, the number of people using it jumped by 20 per cent.

Tens of thousands more people hopped on a bus, tram or train instead of getting in the car. It was good for our roads, good for our environment, and good for our wallets.

So why is the Labor Government already walking away from it and putting fares back up?

Free public transport isn't a fringe idea. In Queensland you can catch a train or bus for 50 cents – permanently! Tasmania has free public transport right through to June 2027. There’s no reason why Victoria can’t have the same.

It makes a lot of sense – especially if you compare it to what Labor already spends on roads. The cost of the North East Link alone could fund free public transport the whole of Victoria for 25 years! One toll road, or a generation of free travel for every Victorian? Labor chose the toll road, but we think free public transport is a better deal.

The savings for households speak for themselves: free PT would save the average Victorian more than $220 a month.

It's also not just about scrapping fares. It's about frequency and accessibility. A free trip means nothing if the bus or train never turns up or you can’t get on the tram because it’s not accessible. The Greens’ plan pairs free PT with the frequent, accessible, reliable services Victorians can actually build their lives around.

And the good news is we can pay for all of it by finally making big corporations pay their fair share of tax. Rather than leaving everyday Victorians to foot the bill while toll road companies bank the profits.

Free, frequent, accessible public transport is exactly the kind of change we're told is impossible, until all of a sudden it isn't. Labor and Liberal policy has too often been shaped by the priorities of their big corporate donors, including toll road companies. We can demand better than the meagre offerings from the old major parties.

If you want to join me, add your voice to our petition on ellensandell.com/issue/freept or reach out to my office on [email protected] •