The WA government is encouraging more bus passengers with the announcement of a free day of PT each month
The Western Australian government is giving its citizens more reasons to catch public transport by providing free access to all-day travel on the first Sunday of each month as part of a plan to attract more passengers and ease cost of living pressures.
As part of the government’s ‘Fare Free Sunday Sessions’ move, which begins on the WA Day long weekend on June 4, people are being encouraged to use public transport such as buses on weekends, supporting hospitality and entertainment businesses.
The initiative is being funded by the WA government through the 2023-24 state budget and applies to people using SmartRider cards in order to track the number of rides taken and assess the two-year policy.
Based on public transport patronage figures over the past year, the WA government expects this move to equate to about 400,000 free trips across the network each year with the hope of boosting that figure over the duration of the trial and beyond.
The initiative is not just for the big city – passengers in Bunbury and Karratha will also be able to access free TransRegional Sunday bus services on the first Sunday of each month.
The Public Transport Authority (PTA) will run a campaign in coming months to rollout more SmartRiders, which will be available at Transperth InfoCentres and selected retail outlets.
The initiative will complement the existing two-zone cap scheme that the WA government says has saved public transport users in the outer suburbs thousands of dollars in the past year.
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“Free public transport on Sundays will help to encourage more Western Australians to get out and about on the weekend, supporting local businesses while boosting use of our trains and buses,” WA premier Mark McGowan says.
“The free offer will allow more families to experience more parts of Perth, without the hassle or costs of parking.”
WA transport minister Rita Saffioti says the bounce back from COVID will be increased in coming months with this new initiative.
“This will help support the local entertainment and hospitality industry to rebuild after what has been a difficult three years,” she says.
“The aim is to get people used to the idea of catching public transport on weekends, taking the hassle out of driving and allowing them to relax and enjoy themselves while out socialising.
“I am confident that by getting more people to use public transport on weekends, it will also encourage more regular public transport usage during the week.”