Public Transport will be the best way to get out and enjoy the Festive season with free travel on public transport on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve across Victoria, according to the State Government.
Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne says that free travel across the network will make it easier and safer for more Victorians to get out and visit family and friends, and to enjoy the festive celebrations.
Trains, trams, buses and V/Line services will be free from 3:00am Christmas Day until 3:00am Boxing Day with services running to a Sunday timetable.
Travel on trains, trams, buses and V/Line services will also be free from 6:00pm New Year’s Eve until 6:00am on New Year’s Day.
THE GOOD NEWS
With around 350,000 people expected to head into Melbourne’s CBD to bring in the new year, and most catching public transport, services will run all night to cater for the crowds.
After midnight, trains will run every 10 minutes until 1.30am with extra services running through the night. Until 2:00am, trams will run every 5-10 minutes with buses also departing the city every 15 minutes.
For regional passengers, V/Line will operate additional services as well as night coaches from Southern Cross. Passengers returning home on New Year’s Day will also be able to travel for free on the first service on each line, providing more options to stay out longer and still get home safely, the government says.
THE BAD NEWS
The new year also ushers in the annual adjustment to public transport fares, which this year will see fares increase by the CPI value of 2.2 per cent on average – the lowest annual fare rise in four years, the government says.
From 1 January, a two-hour, full-fare Zone 1+2 ticket will increase 10 cents from AUD$4.30 to $4.40, and a daily, full-fare Zone 1+2 ticket will increase from $8.60 to $8.80.
For regional Victorians, town bus fares will remain unchanged, with the cost of a trip within the same zone capped at $2.40 for the fourth consecutive year.
For information and timetables visit ptv.vic.gov.au.
.png)