The Queensland Greens party has announced a commitment prior to next month’s state election to provide free and frequent public transport.
Earlier this year, the state government began a trial to provide 50 cent fares for bus services across Translink’s Queensland network.
Now, the Greens have revealed they want to make public transport free in the state while also boosting capacity and frequency across South East Queensland’s rail and bus network.
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The pledge includes putting high frequency buses in 25 regional cities and towns across Queensland to ensure the free transport is expanded to more citizens.
“Given that it would cost the state government roughly the same to make public transport completely free as to continue paying for ticketing and enforcement, the Greens will also transition to free public transport by 2026,” the party says in a release.
The plan involves:
- Creating high frequency buses running every 10 minutes or better on major road corridors across Queensland including 25 regional towns and cities with a $700m annual investment
- Put an extra $4 billion into new public transport infrastructure like rail, trams and bus lanes, boosting total public transport infrastructure spending to $14 billion over four years
- Beginning the transition to free public transport by improving infrastructure, frequency and coverage to deal with increased demand, pulling out of privatised ticketing contracts and developing better methods to track patronage.
While locking in the 50c fare trial, the Greens also have plans to begin a systematic transition to free public transport for everyone, starting from August 2026.
“While the Greens proposed $1 fares in 2017, and free fares from 2020 onwards, both Labor and LNP have resisted until very recently,” the Greens say.
“Now, with both Labor and LNP committed to keeping 50c fares, the plan to make all public transport completely free will cost just an additional $254 million over four years, or about $80m-$90m per year.”
To begin the transition plan, the Greens suggest pulling out of privatised ticketing contracts and developing “better methods to track patronage”.
Until public transport is free, the Greens says they will suspend all fines for fare evasion offences.
In Brisbane, the high frequency bus routes will be based on the Greens’ ‘Brissie Bus Boost’ plan, involving extending routes into neighbouring areas like Moreton Bay, Redlands, Logan and Ipswich.
This would result in Brisbane having 43 high frequency routes, up from 21 currently, allowing residents to get nearly anywhere by bus.
Outside of Brisbane, the Greens’ plan would bring high frequency buses to 25 regional cities and towns, with the likes of Cairns, Townsville, Mt Isa and Moranbah benefiting.
In Cairns, this would mean 10 new high frequency bus routes would run every 10 minutes, while Townsville would get 11 new routes, Mackay would receive six and Warwick would get two running every 10 minutes.
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