Day one of Queensland’s 50-cent public transport fare trial a success
Commuter numbers were up slightly across Queensland, as the state's landmark 50-cent fares trial began. There were fears the network wouldn't cope with the extra demand, but it was mostly smooth sailing. Many have welcomed the cost-of-living relief, but not everyone's convinced.
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00:00Tapping into the public transport system has never been cheaper.
00:08It's awesome, save about $100 a week.
00:11From Cairns to the Gold Coast, prices have been slashed on trains,
00:15buses, ferries and light rail to combat the cost of living crunch.
00:19I can't believe it.
00:21I've actually messaged so many people saying,
00:23for the first time a 50 cent train ride, so yeah, it's great.
00:26Early reports are in and 50 cent fares is a win.
00:29On the Gold Coast, locals travelling north were keen to take advantage.
00:34Absolutely buzzing. I go up to Biddley every day,
00:37so it costs me $16 every day, so I'm very excited.
00:41This is a good change, having a little bit left in my pocket at the end of the day.
00:47There were fears the network would crumble under pressure,
00:50but at Brisbane's busiest stations, it was business as usual.
00:55I was expecting it to be very crowded, but it was the same as normal.
00:59And there was plenty of room on the Springfield line.
01:02Begging the question, will the 50 cent fares be enough to change commuter habits?
01:08We are seeing, I think, pretty well normal congestion this morning.
01:11It's been quite busy.
01:12The state government's pre-election sweetener has worked a treat for some voters.
01:17It's definitely great that they consider cost of living
01:20and the everyday Australian and the impacts of those everyday costs.
01:24I think it's a cynical vote buying exercise, nothing more.
01:28So what will it cost?
01:29The state will lose about $150 million in fares during the trial period,
01:34but the Premier says it could even be extended
01:37if the number of people using public transport returns to pre-COVID levels.
01:42If this is successful, we'll keep it.
01:44But to be successful, people have to use it.
01:47The opposition wants to see the results before jumping on board.
01:51Let's have a look at the trial and see what this does in terms of driving up demand.
01:56Day one done, six months to go.