Commuters to get free travel after nine trips a week
Brisbane commuters will get free travel after nine journeys from next week.
Premier Campbell Newman says commuters would feel real hip pocket relief, but a critic of travel costs says more help is needed.
“The fact remains that there will be a 7.5 per cent increase in fares next year and the following year which would roughly twice CPI,” head of lobby group Back On Track, Robert Dow, said.
Mr Dow said regular travellers faced rising costs.
“Reducing flag fall prices on fares and increasing the off-peak discounts from 20 to 30 percent and further value added products to discounts could be possible strategies to improve savings,” he said.
Transport minister Scott Emerson said the scheme would reward daily commuters.
“After working all week, your journey home on Friday will be at no charge, and any additional trips you take will be free also,” he said.
This would save for a regular weekday commuter from the City to Oxley up to $220 a year and City to Varsity Lakes up to $642.