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[WA] Free Public Transport: for Primary & Secondary School Students M-F Til End of School Year / for All on Sundays @ Transperth

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[WA] Free Public Transport: for Primary & Secondary School Students M-F Til End of School Year / for All on Sundays @ Transperth
Go to Deal
Ehty on 28/01/2024 - 16:24 transperth.wa.gov.au (4275 clicks)
Last edited 29/01/2024 - 19:39 by 2 other users

Free travel information

The Cook Labor Government has today announced its latest cost-of-living relief measure, with free public transport to be provided for school student travel and for the entire community every Sunday.

× Students travel free on public transport from next week

× Free public transport to be provided for everyone, every Sunday

Cost-of-living relief policy could save more than $500 each

The Ride to School Free Program will be specifically for travel to and from school Monday to Friday and will be available to those who hold a valid Student SmartRider card, while the Fare Free Sundays will be available to everyone with a valid SmartRider card.

The Ride to School Free Program will commence on Monday February 5 while the Fare Free Sundays will begin on February 4.

Families who have two children travelling to and from school daily on public transport could see savings of up to $560 across the school year as a result of the change.

The Ride to School Free Program will benefit every student that rides the bus or train to school – with around 300,000 students currently holding Student SmartRiders.

The new initiatives come on top of existing supports provided by the Cook Government to make travel cheaper for Western Australians including:

the free School Bus Service in regional Western Australia;
doubling the conveyance allowance for families that cannot access the free School Bus Service;
two-zone fare cap for travel on public transport in metropolitan Perth;
the Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme; and
free public transport for seniors during off-peak.

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Comments

  • hopper on 28/01/2024 - 16:25
    +58

    That's a great initiative from govt, other states must learn

      • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 16:36
        +18

        Not getting extorted by private companies for basic things such as transport?

        • jv on 29/01/2024 - 14:41

          Why not make it free for everyone then, all the time?

          • Drakesy on 29/01/2024 - 14:44

            @jv: Because the $300 million they recover (1/3 of their operating budget) is not an insignificant amount.

      • Chmmr on 28/01/2024 - 16:41
        +6

        Students under 14 & 9 months (or 15) don't have jobs yet and need to make a way to school, and can't pay for it.

          • SimAus007 on 28/01/2024 - 16:57
            +16

            @PainToad: Why "but" at the end of your first sentence? Speaking of education…

            • R4 on 28/01/2024 - 21:32
              -6

              @SimAus007: Dude, this isn't a uni assignment!

              When I was doing my masters, I had a lecturer who used to say but at the end of sentences - and he has a PhD.

              Just saying.

              • jackspratt on 29/01/2024 - 01:57
                +3

                @R4: I'll wager he didn't say "just saying" at the end of sentences.

            • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 21:41
              +2

              @AustriaBargain: I mean you do have a point about our abysmal brith rates.

              The country that will happily welcome new comers yet make local's lives very difficult

          • andrew229 on 28/01/2024 - 17:16
            +19

            @PainToad: Free bus fares for students, less traffic on the freeway in the morning is a great idea !!!

          • jackspratt on 28/01/2024 - 19:56
            +2

            @PainToad: You must be fun at parties.

            • PainToad on 28/01/2024 - 21:19
              -5

              @jackspratt: You sure must not be if you can’t handle anyone who has a different opinion to what you have. Unless your parties are echo chambers.

              • OMGJL on 28/01/2024 - 23:36
                +5

                @PainToad: you know why you haven't received as much neg on this comment than your previous comments? Because daily max neg is capped at 5.

          • Adikp3njahat on 28/01/2024 - 23:12
            +4

            @PainToad: Why are you so salty about it bro?

            Free public transport for all students is great regardless of whether their parents are rich or not. Proportion of students with rich parents are much smaller compared to low/middle class anyway, so I don't understand why you are salty about the benefit being received by that small number of rich families.

            It's not really a handout either if your tax money gets spent on public facilities anyway.

          • TrustNoBody on 29/01/2024 - 08:46

            @PainToad: just cos someone is struggling financially doesn’t mean they are living generational poverty cycle !!!

    • azm on 28/01/2024 - 17:03
      -7

      I wish Victoria have a similar scheme. But Daniel Andrews make Victoria broke.

      • askbargain on 28/01/2024 - 17:09
        +3

        school students have always travelled for free?

        • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 17:53
          +4

          Inb4

          HoW CoUlD DaN AnRewS dO ThIS!?

          • azm on 10/02/2024 - 03:11
            -1

            @Drakesy: @Drakesy Look how he used SRL as a mechanism (without a business case)to win the election. Andrews bypass his DepSec Richard Bolt and Dot. Because of SRL ALP win a majority seats in LNP seats. Look at the election swing. Ad a result, Victoria is broke.

        • Chmmr on 28/01/2024 - 17:55
          +1

          Not that I'm aware of? I was class of 2007 and always had to have a card. My mate would slip me his after he tapped on.

          • askbargain on 28/01/2024 - 18:25

            @Chmmr: oh wow it isn't. too used to seeing school students not tapping on so i always assumed it was free.

        • azm on 29/01/2024 - 01:56
          -1

          When was that?

        • TrustNoBody on 29/01/2024 - 09:00

          it depends how far away u live from the school ..i think in nsw it’s 2km in a straight line the way the crows fly or 2.9km walking distance from the school for high school kids

      • FlipperMeTimbers on 28/01/2024 - 19:21
        -3

        Public transport is already free in Victoria! /s

    • garygaz on 28/01/2024 - 18:34
      +2

      It is great, and I’m jealous. However, being frank, there is no other place on earth that has the resource wealth that WA has on a per capita basis. They can do stuff like this all day long and still run a surplus.

      • R4 on 28/01/2024 - 21:35
        +5

        Sure but other states on the East coast have plenty of resources like gas to exploit but they refuse to do so. Victoria for instance could make a sh1t ton of tax revenue from gas, but won't.

        • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 10:43
          +1

          Sure but other states on the East coast have plenty of resources like gas to exploit but they refuse to do so. Victoria for instance could make a sh1t ton of tax revenue from gas, but won't.

          VIC capped the gas sales as the private companies are the ones making bucket loads of money selling the gas cheap overseas, all while jacking up the locals gas prices to record highs. So the gov said yeah nah, that isn't how it goes. So capped them.

          • R4 on 29/01/2024 - 23:32

            @JimmyF: Maybe, but WA has a domestic gas reservation policy (15% of offshore and all onshore gas is for use in WA only). Victoria could have the same policy but doesn't - their choice. The main reason Victoria hasn't exploited its gas supply is because of Dan Andrews virtue signalling. He wanted to be seen as hard on with the green lobby and that's it basically. States make money from resources by charging royalties for their extraction. If Victoria wasn't making enough from their gas, they could have increased the royalties. If Victoria got stuck into their gas reserves and charged appropriate royalties, they'd make money hand over fist - and then they'd be able to afford all of those extra civil servants they've employed, the social mumbo jumbo that they love and to pay back some of their gigantic debt.

            • JimmyF on 30/01/2024 - 08:56

              @R4:

              WA has a domestic gas reservation policy

              They do, but VIC sadly didn't do that, so up our gas prices go, plus it is $1/day to have gas on before you even use it. Far from 'cheap'.

              Victoria wasn't making enough from their gas, they could have increased the royalties

              Things you can't do for contracts already written.

              If Victoria got stuck into their gas reserves and charged appropriate royalties, they'd make money hand over fist - and then they'd be able to afford all of those extra civil servants they've employed, the social mumbo jumbo that they love and to pay back some of their gigantic debt.

              LOL Been reading MSM? VIC debt is basically no different to NSW debt levels, but somehow VIC is crippling or gigantic and NSW isn't. VIC is spending as Melbourne population is passing Sydney. We are becoming a bigger city, so you need to spend.

              If you looked at the gov powers at the time who wrote these gas contacts, cough cough libs, you'll see they screwed us over so their mates could make a mega profit.

      • andrew229 on 29/01/2024 - 01:39
        +6

        I'm also really glad that WA doesnt have all the pokie machines that the east coast have….
        more tax revenue for the state govts, but the gambling causes too many social problems

      • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 10:41
        -6

        resource wealth that WA has on a per capita basis

        Ahhh yes, WA selling resources that belong to ALL Australians cheaply and then claiming to be the greatest state out there, and not wanting to share the money they make from these resources with the rest of Australia. Plus lets ignore the mess and destruction the mining companies leave behind.

        I know which state will have their hand out yet again during the next mining slow down! WA has always been a boom/bust state.

        • Tygrys on 29/01/2024 - 13:01
          +3

          Typical ungrateful ramblings for your great lifestyle funded by the hard work of Westralians 💁

          • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 13:31
            -1

            @Tygrys:

            Typical ungrateful ramblings for your great lifestyle funded by the hard work of Westralians 💁

            LOL. Ripping out resources out of the ground that belong to ALL Australians and selling them overseas cheaply?

            You know the people in the 'east' do things as well, we pay taxes and stuff. You think we all sit around living on WA? LOL! It might be a shock to you, but we do far more things than just rip stuff out of the ground and put them on a ship to China like WA.

        • banana365 on 29/01/2024 - 13:22

          And yet until recently we've always had a lower return on our GST than eastern states. Eastern staters never seem to complain when it's them with their hands out.

          • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 13:34

            @banana365:

            until recently we've always had a lower return on our GST than eastern states. Eastern staters never seem to complain when it's them with their hands out.

            The resources that belong to ALL Australians so the wealth should be spread around.

            WA certainly has its hand out crying for money from the 'east' as you call it, if its not over GST it is over something else or during one of the mining bust cycles.

            Notice how I call it WA as in the state, while people in WA have a massive chip on their shoulder, and its WA against the 'east' coast.

            • banana365 on 29/01/2024 - 14:22

              @JimmyF: It's easier to refer to the east coast than list all the states. It's convenience and nothing else. Can we get some of that pokies wealth that we don't have over here?

            • jackspratt on 29/01/2024 - 15:03
              +1

              @JimmyF:

              while people in WA have a massive chip on their shoulder…….

              Reading your posts (just on this thread) and it's clear you have a chip on both shoulders.

              • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 15:19
                -1

                @jackspratt:

                Reading your posts (just on this thread) and it's clear you have a chip on both shoulders.

                LOL not at all, WA people see it as a 'them' vs the East Coast. While East coast people don't care.

                My comment was, free PT for kids is nice, but daily caps for the entire state is nicer. But lots of frothing at the mouth by the WA people at how big the state is (yes but 99% is empty) and how much Australian resources they rip out of the ground and should keep all the money for themselves, screw the east!!

                • jackspratt on 29/01/2024 - 16:21
                  +2

                  @JimmyF: I didn't say "East coast people".

                  I said "you".

                  And it continues in your post above.

                  • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 16:45
                    -1

                    @jackspratt:

                    I didn't say "East coast people".

                    I'm referring to the rest of the comments, there are many more posts than your random one you inserted into the middle of the adults talking thinking is the one that matters.

                    Tell me again how big WA is? Just incase the other 10 posts wasn't clear….

                • Tiggrrrrr on 29/01/2024 - 19:32
                  -1

                  @JimmyF: "but daily caps for the entire state is nicer"

                  There already is a cap. Everyone pays a maximum of 2 zones regardless of if they live in Zone 5 or Zone 2.

                  Those that paid more to live closer to the city get to pay an increased fair.

            • Tiggrrrrr on 29/01/2024 - 19:19

              @JimmyF: "The resources that belong to ALL Australians"

              I wasn't aware the resources were on Federal land?

              Sub-surface minerals belong to the State, not ALL Australia.

              • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 23:27
                -2

                @Tiggrrrrr:

                Sub-surface minerals belong to the State, not ALL Australia.

                Cool story bro. When WA is broke yet again when the mining boom is over, don't come knocking on the 'east coast' door for hand outs. You spent your 'money'.

        • Geoff01 on 30/01/2024 - 10:08
          +1

          I agree, I'm a wa'er. Without mining we would be screwed. The east west train line goes down we can't even get a lot of groceries in store as most come from the east. Though our previous premier said that wa could exist without the east. How wrong he is.

          • JimmyF on 30/01/2024 - 10:25
            -1

            @Geoff01:

            The east west train line goes down we can't even get a lot of groceries in store as most come from the east.

            Yep, I remember when the family in the west had little food to pick from while it was down.

            Though our previous premier said that wa could exist without the east. How wrong he is.

            Lots of folks in WA think they don't need/use/want the East coast and could do without it, but as you said, it doesn't seem to be that way.

            I find it so strange that the East Coast doesn't dislike WA, but the WA has such a dislike of the East Coast. Bit like the mining dollars, its all theirs, even though the resources they are selling is literally Australia itself aka ore out of the ground.

          • Tiggrrrrr on 30/01/2024 - 14:50

            @Geoff01: Which essential groceries did you miss out on?
            All I miss when the train line goes down are impulse purchases from Amazon.

    • jv on 29/01/2024 - 14:40
      -1

      That's a great initiative from govt, other states must learn

      The only thing Jacinta learns is how to waste $200 billion to build a railway line.

      • hopper on 29/01/2024 - 16:31
        +1

        And stop it in middle.

        • jv on 29/01/2024 - 16:42
          +1

          Maybe one of Dan's new companies with links to China can finish it off…

          …teaming up with a little-known former political staffer, Zheng Mei
          Mei worked for Andrews throughout his entire time as premier, and was best known for advising Andrews during the writing of the Victorian government’s Belt and Road Initiative deal

  • Iluvfreebies-freeDel on 28/01/2024 - 16:29
    +3

    How do I enrol in school again?

    • wavesgreen on 28/01/2024 - 18:55
      +3

      OzBargain membership to the School of Hard Knocks you little Aussie battler.

  • Rod M on 28/01/2024 - 16:32
    +11

    go out and party on Saturday night and a free ride home in the morning,

    • Takeonme on 28/01/2024 - 17:15
      +2

      Walk of shame to the train station

  • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 16:36
    +39

    How good is not privatising public transport!

      • hellobess on 28/01/2024 - 17:33
        +6

        I love the free transport with any event in WA other states need that one

      • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 17:52

        Victoria also has tolls though

      • Castcore on 28/01/2024 - 19:34
        +1

        How is it free for students? Concession prices are 50% off?

      • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 28/01/2024 - 19:36
        +2

        Wrong. It is not free for students in Victoria.

    • reecho on 28/01/2024 - 23:15
      -4

      It is mostly privatised in WA.

      • Drakesy on 28/01/2024 - 23:22

        Ok i'll bite
        How?

        • bonezAU on 28/01/2024 - 23:27

          Bus operations

          We use partner businesses to run our bus services. These businesses are Swan Transit, Path Transit and Transdev.
          https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/about-us

          Trains are not privatised though afaik.

          • Drakesy on 29/01/2024 - 00:11
            +7

            @bonezAU: Yeah, paying a subcontractor to operate a bus service is not really the same as privatisation as Transperth still dictates the charge and runs a competitive tender process. Unlike handing the operation of a service solely to a company to operate and price.

            • bonezAU on 29/01/2024 - 00:32
              +1

              @Drakesy: Yeah that makes perfect sense. It's far better than just selling it off to be fully privately controlled.

              I wasn't providing myself as bait for your bite, just copied and pasted the info from the Transperth site.

        • bargaino on 28/01/2024 - 23:33
          +2

          Buses were originally private of course, then "nationalised" to the MTT.
          Now the private companies provide the buses services for the state as customer. Not really the same as privatisation.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buses_in_Perth#Privatisation

          Trains are still fully public AFAIK.

  • edBARGAIN on 28/01/2024 - 16:37
    +10

    Victoria you really need to follow this

      • modded on 28/01/2024 - 17:06
        +3

        Yes, but it costs $11 both for 2 suburbs and 20. Catching the bus to school every day should not cost the same as travelling from Castlemaine to Traralgon

        • JimmyF on 28/01/2024 - 17:39
          -2

          Yes, but it costs $11 both for 2 suburbs and 20. Catching the bus to school every day should not cost the same as travelling from Castlemaine to Traralgon

          To you and all the neggers, it costs the same nowadays as it was about making it equal for everyone. It never used to cost the same until last year. Why should Castlemaine to the city cost way more than it did to go from Melton to Dandenong?

          As I said, I would rather travel anywhere for in the state for $5/10 than just kids travelling to school for free.

          But you know, you do you, I'll do me.

          • b2dz on 29/01/2024 - 09:23

            @JimmyF: So at $6 a day, if a family that has three kids take public transport to school, that would be an extra $90 a week, or $3,600 over a 40 week school year.

            That seems quite steep to me.

            I think it's a great initiative.

            But, haters gonna hate I suppose.

            • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 10:37
              -1

              @b2dz:

              if a family that has three kids take public transport to school
              That seems quite steep to me.

              Steep!? LOL clearly don't have kids then if you think that is steep. Basically if you can afford to have 3 kids, you can afford to pay a few dollars a year for PT yeah? It's not the tax payers job to pay for your kids upbringing.

              I think it's a great initiative.

              Not saying it's not a great initiative, but if I had the choice, I would rather a statewide system that makes it 'fair' for everyone with a day cap of $5/$10 than see that scraped to give kids free PT that isn't really free, but the tax payer picking it up. At least with the statewide system it is for everyone, all tax payers get to use it ;)

              The VIC statewide system is doing an amazing job at removing cars off the road. The statewide PT system is at the highest usage levels in decades now as people are using the train/bus instead of driving. Much better system indeed! VLine trains and buses have people on them now, instead of running empty with one person.

              I know which system I would rather see.

              But, haters gonna hate I suppose.

              So why not make PT free for everyone?

              • b2dz on 29/01/2024 - 11:43

                @JimmyF: I can't follow your logic.

                If you think that a family struggling with increased rent and mortgage repayments from interest rates, also with the added bonus of inflation wouldn't think that paying $3600 for transport only to school is steep, I think you're kidding yourself. That would be an enormous benefit to them.

                And then you go and say that you're not saying that it's not a great initiative.

                And then you say "why not make PT free for everyone"? I agree, let's do that, but that comes at a cost and earlier you were saying that it's not taxpayers responsibility to pay for the transport of kids. So is it taxpayer responsibility to pay for everyone's PT? What about people that don't use PT?

                Again, not following your logic.

                Anyway, I think it's a step in the right direction, and a great way to get more cars off the road in peak hour during school drop.

                • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 12:40
                  -2

                  @b2dz:

                  I can't follow your logic.

                  Do you have kids out of interest?

                  If you think that a family struggling with increased rent and mortgage repayments from interest rates, also with the added bonus of inflation wouldn't think that paying $3600 for transport only to school is steep, I think you're kidding yourself. That would be an enormous benefit to them.

                  It's $1200 per child, but I love how your factual family has 3 kids, why not 5 kids and make it a $6k saving!? $6k saving sounds better than $3600 saving!

                  All those things you have outlined are impacting everyone else. So why should a family with 3 kids get a $3600 tax payer handout and everyone else doesn't? We're all suffering.

                  And then you go and say that you're not saying that it's not a great initiative.

                  I said free PT for kids is a great initiative, but if I had to pick one, either free PT for kids but give up the daily cap OR the $5/$10 daily cap for travel anywhere in the state of VIC, I see greater benefit from the later.

                  And then you say "why not make PT free for everyone"? I agree, let's do that, but that comes at a cost and earlier you were saying that it's not taxpayers responsibility to pay for the transport of kids. So is it taxpayer responsibility to pay for everyone's PT? What about people that don't use PT?

                  Its more fair if all taxpayers get access to something their money is paying than just a limited set of people. It also opens this up to millions of people and trips, that remove many car trips from the road. I know people that now jump on the train as it is cheaper than driving. When a trip to a regional hub was $20-30 each way via PT, it was cheaper to drive, now it is not. The thing is, the train was running anyhow, now it has lots of people on it paying $5/$10 each, vs a few paying $10-$30 each. The cost of delivering the service hasn't changed, but now they have more people using and paying for it.

                  Anyway, I think it's a step in the right direction, and a great way to get more cars off the road in peak hour during school drop.

                  Not every kid gets driven to school. Most high school kids take PT today. So the amount of cars removed won't be noticeable in my books, as primary school kids are generally wrapped in cotton wool and won't be allowed to make their own way on PT.

                  So unlike the daily caps in VIC that have seen statewide travel on PT at record highs not seen for decades. Meaning lots more car trips are being removed from the road each and every day. Yep seems like a better deal to me.

                  But lets do both, free travel to any student/senior/concession holder as well as statewide daily caps.

            • twincinna on 29/01/2024 - 22:13

              @b2dz: Vic School students can get a discounted yearly pass.
              Assuming they travel 5 days a week, it works out to be around $2.70 per day or $14 a week.

      • freoleo on 28/01/2024 - 17:10
        +3

        Its 10 bucks for that same thing in WA, cheaper for kids too (now free for kids)

        So we have that + now this

        I was hoping they would give us a Friday or something instead of Sundays, must have priced it up with the January trial and thought it's not viable unfortunately

        • JimmyF on 28/01/2024 - 17:36
          -1

          Its 10 bucks for that same thing in WA, cheaper for kids too (now free for kids)

          Yeah but how far can you go in WA on PT?

      • MetalPhreak on 28/01/2024 - 21:29

        https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/tickets-fares/fares

        $10.30 and $4.60 for concession. Heck $10.30 for the whole family at certain times.

        Dang I wish we could get that value of paying more in Victoria.

        • JimmyF on 28/01/2024 - 21:35
          -2

          Dang I wish we could get that value of paying more in Victoria.
          $10.30 and $4.60 for concession

          Its $10 and $5 in VIC already to travel anywhere in the state, but sure….WA does it better…… 🙄

          • b2dz on 29/01/2024 - 11:51

            @JimmyF: Wyndham is 3,100km from Perth. That's only slightly less distance than Perth to Melbourne at about 3300km.

            Western Australia is enormous. You can't really compare the two.

            • JimmyF on 29/01/2024 - 12:30
              -1

              @b2dz:

              Western Australia is enormous. You can't really compare the two.

              No one is saying WA isn't enormous, but lets not kid yourself, 99% of the state is empty with nothing there.

              My point was the PT in VIC allows the people to travel to other people cheaply, while WA is basically Perth. Screw the rest of the people in the state.

      • Magical Sound Shower on 28/01/2024 - 18:12
        +2

        Concession (student) travel isn't free in Victoria

        Student Passes
        Choose your pass.
        Pass validity dates – all from date of purchase until:
        Victorian Student Pass: Half Year $374.00 Year $720.00

  • sub102 on 28/01/2024 - 16:41
    +1

    How do they verify your student status do you know

    • ltwo on 28/01/2024 - 16:44
      +5

      a student smartrider is required afaik. usually issued through schools.

    • CBrads4 on 28/01/2024 - 16:47
      +1

      You are either given your transit card by your school if they are participating in that program (those schools usually print your school student ID onto a SmartRider card) or you need to fill out a form and submit it to the card distribution company.

      The form requires details of your enrolled school, the school has to sign it and provide their stamp, and TransPerth usually do another verification check with the school itself before the card is issued.

  • OZBUser2022 on 28/01/2024 - 17:05
    +5

    NSW government should learn from this

  • shortgum on 28/01/2024 - 17:27
    +6

    NSW Trans: BRING BACK ALL DAY $2.50-$2.80 ON SUNDAY

  • Bii on 28/01/2024 - 17:29

    Need a cheaper fare for everyone and especially for OzBers.

    How is the price comparison between the states? And against other countries?

    When will the buses be replaced by battery ones? Will the price go down nah?

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