Improve affordability and access to public transport across Tasmania.
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$177 per capita
Spend on public transport in Tasmania, less than any other jurisdiction in 2021/22 (compared with an Australian average of $657). Source: Commonwealth Grants Commission (cgc.gov.au)
TasCOSS’s election asks:
- Free public transport for students, seniors, concession card holders and people on low incomes.
- Fast track public transport access and inclusion measures, including: updating Metro Tasmania’s Disability Action Plan; expanding the Transport Access Scheme to rideshare companies; accessible, real-time travel information; and bus stop upgrades to comply with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
- Expand the public transport network in consultation with communities, prioritising areas of high transport disadvantage.
The information in the table below is gleaned from candidate and party responses and policy announcements during the campaign. Neither the Liberal or Labor parties chose to formerly respond to TasCOSS’s election platform, however we conducted our own analysis of their publicly available policies. Our election tracker is provided as a guide to inform members, and we encourage you to undertake your own research on candidate and party policy positions. All candidate and party responses received are available in full here:
- Tasmanian Greens
- Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN)
- Kristie Johnston MP (IND, Clark)
- David O’Byrne MP (IND, Franklin)
- John Tucker MP (IND, Lyons)
- Sue Hickey (IND, Clark)
- Tamar Cordover (IND, Franklin)
- Greg (Tubby) Quinn (IND, Bass)
| Party | Headline Announcement(s) | Source/Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| Free public transport for students, seniors, concessions and those living on a low income | Liberal — Half price bus and ferry fares for 13 months Labor — Half price bus and ferry fares for 12 months Greens — Free public transport Kristie Johnston — Supports free public transport for students, seniors, concessions and those living on a low income David O’Byrne — Supports free public transport for students, seniors, concessions and those living on a low income JLN — Public transport should be more affordable Sue Hickey — Supports measures to improve affordability of public transport Tamar Cordover — Supports free bus fares for concession card holders and young people | Liberal policy Labor policy Greens policy TasCOSS election platform responses JLN election website |
| Improved access and inclusion measures | Liberal — Real-time tracking of buses Labor — Improve bus accessibility, deliver real-time bus tracking and integrated statewide ticketing and planning service, directly employ permanent transit officers for bus safety, support the rollout of safety screens on buses. Consult with Tasmanians with disability and local stakeholders to improve public transport accessibility Greens — $110 million for more frequent bus and community transport services; funding to ensure bus stops are compliant with national disability standards, along with updating Metro Tasmania’s Disability Action Plan Kristie Johnston — Supports fast-tracking public transport access and inclusion measures, including updating Metro’s Disability Action Plan, expanding the Transport Access Scheme, accessible real-time information, and bus stop upgrades to comply with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) Sue Hickey — Supports compliance with DSAPT Tamar Cordover — Supports measures to improve access of public transport | Liberal policy Labor policy and announcement Greens policy announcements TasCOSS election platform responses |
| Expand public transport network prioritising disadvantage | Liberal — $15 million to expand bus services Labor — Expand services to areas of high public transport need Greens — $110 million for more frequent bus and community transport services Kristie Johnston — Supports expanding the public transport network in consultation with communities, prioritising areas of high transport disadvantage David O’Byrne — Supports extending public transport network into areas of high disadvantage JLN — Public transport should be widely available. | Liberal policy Labor policy Greens policy TasCOSS election platform responses JLN election website |
Check out a rundown of commitments in a different policy area: