Extending Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone
Submissions are now open for the Parliamentary Inquiry to Extend Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone and make public transport across the network free for students and seniors.
Submissions will close on Friday 20 December 2019
I brought this inquiry to the legislative council in June 2019 because I believe it is a step toward changing the way people choose to get around this great city of ours.
As our city grows beyond 5 million citizens it is time we break the culture of using cars to get everywhere in Melbourne, especially when accessing services and events in the centre of the city.
Making transport to our universities, hospitals, major attractions and sporting precincts free at all times would make our public transport network the obvious and best option for all who move around Melbourne.
Making it free for students will help us build a new mindset about public transport use from a young age and set good habits in place. Likewise, our seniors, who face increasingly high costs of living, should be rewarded for a lifetime of contribution to our communities. Free transport for them would encourage their ongoing and active participation in their communities and in the wider Melbourne community that may otherwise not happen due to financial constraints and distance. Anything that supports full-time students, their parents and our seniors is a good thing. Anything that reduces the reliance on cars through incentives to use free travel options is a no-brainer.
Extend the Free Tram Zone
In June Rod presented a motion to the legislative council for an inquiry to extend the free tram zone in Melbourne to take in Melbourne University, the hospitals and major tourism destinations. He also asked the Economy and Infrastructure Committee to investigate making our public transport network free for students and senior citizens.
Latest News – Free Tram Zone Extension Inquiry
MOTION – Inquiry to expand free tram zone and free transport for students and senior
I present this motion today because I have a sincere interest in improving public transport services across Victoria, particularly in Melbourne. As you know, my background is in the taxi and hire car industry, and I see this industry as an integral part of our public transport system. Our trams, trains and buses deliver services across the city and out into our regional areas, but as part of that system our commercial passenger vehicles deliver on the first and last mile and in particular for the most vulnerable—those who are sick, those who are frail, those who are young and at risk, the elderly and those travelling late at night.
Expansion of free tram zone and free transport for students and seniors
Extending the free tram zone to include Melbourne’s inner city hospitals, universities, sport and arts precincts came a step closer today with a motion from Transport Matters Party leader Rod Barton passed in the Legislative Council.