One of Australia’s most expensive commutes becomes the cheapest, as Queensland’s 50c public transport trial begins

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/04/one-of-australias-most-expensive-commutes-becomes-the-cheapest-as-queenslands-50c-public-transport-trial-begins>

"In an Australian-first trial of super-cheap public transport, Queensland bus,
train and ferry fares are set to drop to just 50 cents this week.

Train tickets in the sunshine state had been among the country’s most expensive
– up to $31.10 for a single adult paper train ticket.

But both major parties have committed to consider keeping 50-cent fares for the
long term, if a six-month trial which begins on Monday proves successful.

Translink director of events scheduling and bus operations Roman Gafa said
they’re not predicting a gigantic influx of new customers from Monday morning.

But he said they’re planning for success anyway, with extra buses and
organisational capacity set aside in case the system is swamped.

He said it was “something that’s never been done around the country before”.

Gafa said the Brisbane public transport system is still well below its
pre-Covid patronage, with capacity for an additional 20 million passengers a
year.

A recent Climate Council report found that Brisbane has the worst public
transport system of Australia’s five largest capital cities. Just 33% of
residents live within walking distance of a stop with regular transport."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics