Tasmanians could be asked to pay 50 cents to catch public transport under an idea floated by independent Franklin MP David O’Byrne.
O’Byrne raised the proposal in parliament on Wednesday, asking Treasurer Eric Abetz to consider Queensland’s flat-fare model as an ongoing alternative to Tasmania’s current free travel scheme.
Free bus and ferry travel was introduced on March 30 as a cost-of-living measure in response to rising fuel prices and is due to end on July 1.
O’Byrne said a low fare would be more sustainable than free travel in the long run.
“Free fares on buses have been welcomed by the public and it has broad support in this parliament,” he said.
“But resources are finite and there is another, more sustainable alternative in front of us.”
Queensland introduced permanent 50-cent public transport fares in August 2024.
Since then, bus patronage has risen by 22% in Brisbane and 20% on both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, O’Byrne said.
He said a small fare would help maintain the perceived value of the service while still easing cost-of-living pressures.
O’Byrne also called on the government to scrap its “hopelessly delayed” common ticketing project and redirect the funding into bus services instead.
“Will you … consider supporting 50-cent bus fares to make public transport more attractive to Tasmanians in the long term?” he asked.
Abetz said he was open to the idea.
“If you do pay for something, you tend to value it more,” Abetz said.
“That is where having some fee for public transport into the future may well be something that needs to be considered.”
He said free fares had created some issues, including on the coach service between Launceston and Hobart.
Abetz said Bass MP Michael Ferguson had raised concerns about passengers booking seats but failing to show up.
“Keeping bus fares as low as possible is clearly something that we would seek to do as a government,” Abetz said.
Abetz said any final decision would ultimately be made by Transport Minister Kerry Vincent and Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
