New fares across South East Queensland’s public transport network will take effect next year
Fares will be slashed across South East Queensland (SEQ) for all zones of travel in a major overhaul of public transport costs.
The Queensland Government unveiled its Fairer Fares package recently and more than 93 per cent of SEQ public transport users will save money with cheaper fares and a reduced number of travel zones.
The new fares are to take effect next year.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the package was released in response to recommendations from the independent Fare Review Taskforce.
“Our Fairer Fares package delivers real cost of living relief to public transport users,” she says.
“Using public transport all over South East Queensland will be cheaper and commuters will pay lower fares to travel both short and long distances.
“Under the package, the cost of a single zone of travel in peak time will drop to $3.20, and each of the new larger zones cost will also be slashed.”
All fares will remain frozen to implement the savings and stay frozen for all of 2017.
Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe says the package endorses the majority of recommendations made by the expert taskforce.
“This is the largest investment in public transport services in a decade since the rollout of the go card and integrated ticketing,” he says.
“It builds on the recommendations from the taskforce to deliver fare reductions right across South East Queensland.”
He says simplifying fare zones will benefit public users all across SEQ including Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and Moreton Bay.
“Fewer zones means most public transport users will pay less because they won’t be travelling through as many zones,” says Hinchliffe.
“Modelling from the Department of Transport and Main Roads shows that this package will attract as many as 8 million new users to public transport a year.
“This is the equivalent of taking 7 million cars off our roads every year and fewer cars means less congestion across our local and major road network.”
Weekends are also set to be family ‘fundays’ on public transport with the announcement of a new plan to let kids travel free using their go card.
“The family-friendly fare deals means all kids under 15 years old will be able to travel on public transport free of charge on weekends,” Hinchliffe says.
“For many families this travel discount will make it more affordable to use public transport on the weekend for a family outing.
“The new travel discount will encourage more families to use public transport for visits to see family, or to go to cultural, sporting, music or art destinations around South East Queensland.”
Under the new fare structure, children aged between five and 14 years old (inclusive) will travel free at weekends with a child go card.