...It is VERY unfortunate, now that the public transport bandwagon is built, that none of the occupants of the bandwagon have even mentioned the notion of free public transport. Instead they speak of “an integrated fare and ticketing system” as if that will be the draw card for people. In Victoria, the government has spent over $1billion on a new “integrated” ticketing system that will cost millions to run each year. In NSW the government has spent well over $100million on a FAILED system and will need to start from scratch. My argument is and will always be, why spend so much money and resources on funding a system that can only ever retrieve way less than a third of the cost of running the system. This is made even more ridiculous when you consider that free public transport will save these amounts. At the same time it will improve the state’s productivity and boost economic activity via people spending more and attracting businesses to the state. There would be countless unforeseen benefits such as people catching a (free) train to regional areas and thereby increasing regional tourism.
I truly believe, with all the logic I can muster, that free public transport is a must. There will be naysayers who will bag such a notion but that is because they cannot see we live in a system of interaction where positive changes will flow through society. Surely this is worth all the money in the world. Adam Butler
