Freeze fares to tame traffic

A LEADING commuter group has called on the Palaszczuk Government to freeze fares for the next two years to get motorists off the Pacific Motorway and on to public transport.

The Rail Back on Track annual survey of regular public transport users reveals passengers are fed up with trains but love the light rail.

Despite Labor improving affordability through a “Fairer Fares’’ package, the group believes the Government has yet to win the hearts and minds of motorists and needs to take the further step of a ticket freeze.

An exclusive Bulletin report on new road transport maps released yesterday shows the major roads to Commonwealth Games venues are at gridlock in peak hour, which means public transport must take the pressure off when fans arrive for the event next April.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said: “In terms of the Commonwealth Games, we are really worried. The new trains, will they have enough ready? Will there be enough train crews?”

Annual surveying by the group shows that despite reforming fares, the Government has yet to win across workers aware of the “rail fail”, with weekly reports of cancelled services. Asked about Go Card fares, almost 13 per cent of re- spondents believe the prices are “extremely expensive” while 40 per cent regard their daily trip as “expensive”.

“It’s a lot better than what it was. The other thing that has changed it is the local journeys on the Gold Coast, they’ve moved into one or two zones,” Mr Dow said.

“But there’s still a lot of perception out there that it’s dear. We’ve made a call to all political parties to freeze fares for 2018 and 2019. We think that will bring it back to a level situation. Southeast Queensland is far more expensive than the other states.”

A single paper ticket across one zone costs $4.60, and $3.20 on a Go Card; and the fare can be as much as $28 (paper ticket) and $19.32 (Go Card) over eight zones. A rail trip to Brisbane can cost from $10 to $19, depending on the zone where the commuter embarks from the Gold Coast.

By comparison, a two-hour fare across one zone in Melbourne costs $4.10. Mr Dow said trips between the Melbourne CBD and Geelong can cost as little as 40 cents.

State Transport Minister Jackie Trad at Estimates hearings said customer satisfaction data showed affordability was tracking at its best levels since 2013.

Peak periods were now starting at 6am and not 3am, and children under 15 were travelling free on weekends, she said.