![[VIC] Free: All Public Transport (Trams, Trains, Buses, V/Line) 1-31 May, 1/2 Prices until 1 Jan 2027 @ Transport Victoria](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/20/956120.jpg?h=0c7a3239)
The Victorian Labor government is extending its free public transport offer for another month, and will then offer half price fares until 1 Jan 2027.
[VIC] Free: All Public Transport (Trams, Trains, Buses, V/Line) 1-31 May, 1/2 Prices until 1 Jan 2027 @ Transport Victoria
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ozvictor on 19/04/2026 - 07:07 transport.vic.gov.au (2544 clicks)
Last edited 19/04/2026 - 21:42 by 2 other users
Last edited 19/04/2026 - 21:42 by 2 other users
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Election incentive started 2026
Same thing in Queensland, and even then it wasn't enough. So ultimately it's a win for commuters regardless of your politics
Victorians are desperate for a single win. Let them have it lol
Well there are many other things they can do but the fact they need to do this shows they know how really fking bad the economy is behind the scenes and they aren't broadcasting it.
I believe they get reports from the banks on the savings rates (*please check this) and they have calculated that people cannot afford the fuel going on or are doing a double whammy by addressing costs and also the fuel shortage at the same time. They are worried about the effects a few months down the track form the Iran war.
I’ll be sure to vote someone else. I can’t be bribed with this nonsense
So lucky if you’re visiting Melbourne!
We get 50c bus fares here in Queensland. I think that's even better than half price.
yes, but you are still on a bus
Yeah it's alright as we don't have trams or trains here in this regional city and just have bus travel. One or two buses gets you around the city or to the beach so it's good.
There’s trains and light rail in QLD included in 50c fares. Not all regions but heavy rail goes from Goldy to Sunshine Coast and light rail from Broadbeach (soon to be Burleigh) to Helensvale.
And still in Queensland.
Sure is! It's shame the folks who introduced it were promptly voted out.
In Melbourne we have free bus travel year round. Rarely does anyone tap on.
Still better than NSW you pay $8 on a bus for a way one trip 💀💀💀
Thats criminal
Looking forward to grabbing a train from gc to brissy for 50cents. Is that per trip or per day?
Per trip. On the Gold Coast you can get an all-day ticket for $1.50.
There is no such thing as "free"
Obtuse, trying to appear acute.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Best joke of 2026
Well, the state is in crippling debt and can't afford a functional health system or enough police to stop the out of control violent crime, so remember that every time you are waiting for your free delayed/cancelled train.
Who says that? What crippling debt?? All's fine and dandy, my life is fine in this functional metropolis. 🖖
is that what 3AW told you?
Make it free forever
Make it free forever for the whole Australia.
Even if it's just buses. The airlines would hate that but I don't care they're cancelling essential services left, right and centre just to save a few dollars but people still need to get to these places.
It isn't free now and it will not be free in the future. Tax payers are paying for it.
Well tax payers pay for an awful lot of things.
I think making the argument that services from a library, or driving on roads isn’t “free” is pretty disingenuous
Tax payers already pay for expensive ad campaign for saving fuel.
Which is objectively a good use of tax payers funds.
Oh look, Captain Obvious has arrived (TBF, no shortage here).
I'd rather "pay" for this then for some of the NDIS and parks charges.
You figured out how tax works. Congrats.
Did they increase taxes to cover it?
That's what Luxembourg does.
Free public transport, throughout the whole (albeit small) country.
It's a great execution of public transport.
If tax payers have funded something so that it's free for you, then it's free for you.
It's not that complicated.
@Nom: Eh, you pay tax? So you pay for it…. Unless you don’t pay tax? In that case get a job and stop being a leech on society like a politician.
If you still think taxes won’t increase due to this then maybe get an education before the job…
If you think that the same gov that tax funded lambos and hookers to the big build is there to look after you, then maybe nothing will help you.
You mean transport service funded by the people, for the people? Like a public transport service? I think, I have a good name for it "Public Transport Victoria", or PTV for short, what do you think?
Ridiculous comparison 2,586km^2 compared to 7,688,000km^2
That’s 0.000336368 the size.
All fifty people saying the same thing are amazingly smart and so cutting edge. No, really. Nobody else has ever thought to make that point.
How do you think public transport works ?
It's already tax payer funded forever - spending taxes on services for the public is the entire point of the taxation system.
So the money that people USED to pay to use public transport now doesn't get paid so who pays for it? The tax payer and to do that they have to RAISE TAXES WHICH INCREASES THE COST OF LIVING!!!! Are you getting it yet?
@Farticus: Have you ever thought a few steps further?
More people taking public transport lessens the demand for fuel in the middle of instability, making fuel cheaper…etc which have like a third order effect of decreasing cost of living?
Or even just cheaper public transport means more people going out and ideally spending some money which keeps businesses running, the economy churning and you get taxed anyways from the GST.
If the bus runs if there is one person or 20 people, might as well push for as many people as you can and reap the benefits later.
what about calling it bulk billing
The problem with communism is you eventually run out of other people's money.
username checks out
Can always print a bit more.
The problem with the internet is that people like you now have a voice.
no taxes is fair taxes..?
Taxes are fine, it's the over spending, non-investing government wastage that's destroying the economy.
The poor don't benefit ultimately from free money or expanding government, you'd think so but no. What brings the poor / week to week living people into opportunity is productivity. We've had poor economic policy for years now, more socialised, more pubic sector jobs, poor productivity - never has wealth been more divided. You can't tax your way to prosperity, despite what these lefties think… in reality their voted government's are allowing the rich to gather more and more, totally blind to it!
The wealthy are just so far ahead now… it's over, it's done. You're either in or you're out. You either have rich parents or poor parents.
@0jay: I'm a capitalist, I'd rather see economies go bust to clean out the under performers, rebuild with fresh, productive alternates. I don't support bail outs, if it takes a recession lets do it.
What do we have instead? Ever expanding markets and ludicrous government spending that have now extinguished the poor from ever getting ahead. Who wins? The rich.
So, mass immigration, higher government spending and subsidies, all loved by and setup for the rich and sending battlers into oblivion, yet leftist staples. They've won.
@FXx: so many things swimming around in this incoherent vision you're asserting
if you'd like demonstration of what you're advocating for, there isn't an example. the reason for this is not that no gvt has the courage to leave markets alone (as is the popular 'capitalist' view). the reason is business (or capital if y prefer) hoards profit until such time they are in a position to absorb competitors and form monopoly dimensions. they can then lobby gvt for favourable conditions which includes favourable regulatory conditions and includes corporate welfare
musk's a good example of a person who's maximised gvt subsidies which should by rights be termed public subsidies given it's taxpayer money
@0jay: Business only gets away with what government will allow, often for their own benefit, yes.
A free market is competitive. Blame the rule makers, the regulators, not the winners.
If government wasn't so reliant on the 'winners' (private people or business) productivity, if they weren't so inept and frankly incompetent, we'd all be a lot better off. You seem clouded in your wanting to blame the players instead of the rule makers. Maybe you've hung around a bit too long waiting for the government to do something for you? Not sure. I think by now you're realising that they're not saving anyone. The rich always find a way, they'll always protect their assets. The more economically socialised we get, the more wealth becomes divided. Complete two class economy now, which will only get worse. The way Labor have facilitated it while maintaining support is credible, I'd give them credit if I didn't think they've done it by mistake.
The rich always find a way, they'll always protect their assets
they do prioritise protecting themselves, that's not in dispute
seems a bit like you don't have a very coherent idea about the objectives of government and political economy broadly
you should look into a fella called john maynard keynes. he was an economist and an investor extraordinaire (he made a ton of money) but further to that he had an old school notion of privilege which was that the wealthy had a responsibility toward the society in which they had made themselves wealthy
he also cooincidentally helped build the regulatory structures that enabled recovery following the great depression (caused exclusively by the greed of the investor class btw), anticipated the second world war and brokered the terms and conditions that allowed for the greatest period of prosperity in human history following ww2
Who pays?
Worry about that after the election
No he’s saying “who’s paying at Melbourne to use public transports”.. thought when I went there paying is just suggestion lol.
the billionaires (foreign and local) who are given our resources for free by our labor LNP politicians….. lol just kidding, the Vic Govt can just defund mental health services down from miniscule to nothing
It's the billionaires and mining and gas companies that are raping this country and not paying their fair share.
Bad actors will only do what they are permitted to do by the government.
We have an infinite number of data points that show the free market capitalistic bullcrap rhetoric doesn't work. Don't blame the billionaires, they're doing what is in their best interest. Blame the government for letting it happen on their watch.
@coffeeinmyveins: It's true.
It's disgraceful how politicians can be given plum jobs like the below after negotiating free trade agreements
https://www.smh.com.au/national/liberal-andrew-robb-took-880…
@arcticmonkey: They are all in it. Labor just as bad some even on chinas teet not just big corporates. The level of delusion ppl have thinking any party is different is insane. Only way to change is to vote for individuals who champion change.
@arcticmonkey: Agree, he’s one of the very few honest politicians who is looking after the public interest and not billionaires and overseas corporations.
@arcticmonkey: If acknowledged than why didn't your original statement criticise the government? Within a free market, businesses are obliged to get away with what they can, you could argue they must in order to stay competitive. The regulators (government) who set the rules are the offenders.
@coffeeinmyveins: They also use their power and wealth to influence government decisions. Government are the ones we should put pressure on either way though.
Don't blame the billionaires, they're doing what is in their best interest. Blame the government for letting it happen on their watch.
Blame the dumb (non-ozbargain word) voters who keep re-electing both of them.
@coffeeinmyveins: The politicians are doing what is in the best interest as well. Billionaires have more power these days. I'll keep blaming both thanks.
But they're not paying your fare share.
What Greens/Gucci Greens induced vomit talking points. Blame the people responsible for funding most of infrastructure and services through royalties…. Would you prefer the billions that go towards health, NDIS and schools be banned and not allowed? Mining corporations are not perfect, but they are not to blame.
Those companies are the ones propping up Australia's stagnant economy. Coal and iron ore paying $75b a year in royalties and tax alone.
$250 billion a year the government spends on government workers. Who's wasting money?
It's saving money for those who are struggling financially, especially lower and middle income families. It also frees money up to be spent on essentials that people need to survive, which also generates GST of which the government gets a share.
I'm more than happy for my rates to go towards this for the foreseeable future. Maybe spend less money lining the pockets of lobbyists and party factions - that'll help fill the gap pretty easily, I'm sure.
That wont happen, eventually you will pay more as they recover the cost of this, lobbyists will not be affected.
Free transportation does not necessary benefits those who really needs. If the stupid people in the Gov wants to help, why not dont charge GST instead. For those idiots, there is no consequence for them, they can hand out free money to get your vote cos if they lose, whoever get the seats will have a bigger black hole to fill.I rather feel SAFE inside and outside my home then getting free transportation!
yeah like the state government can just abolish a federal tax. LMAO
How is removing GST going to make you feel safer?
And it also takes cars off roads, saving $$$ spent of road infrastructure and making it easier for those who must drive.
I just paid the Vic government $975 in land tax. Your welcome
You must have multiple properties? Great if so! Should tax a lot more.
Lucky there is no tax on jealousy.
Just the one. Can't live on it due to zoning but I do.
Businesses get charged it too. Even the CFA is getting smacked with it.
So lucky to live in Mel !