this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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Victoria has made public transport free – NSW hasn’t. Has there been any difference in uptake? (theconversation.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by arbilp3@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone
28 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

...The relatively small difference between Victoria, where public transport was free, and NSW – where fares remained unchanged – suggests price is not the main constraint on mode shift. Access, travel time, service reliability and the ability to make specific trips appear to matter more.

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[–] astutemural@midwest.social 7 points 2 weeks ago

Car vs PT is pretty regularly going to be decided in favor of the car. The point of PT is to enable people to not need a car in the first place.

I abandoned my car several years ago, at the benefit of around $300-$400/month (once you add up car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, parking, etc). Nowadays, it would probably be significantly more. I was able to replace that with a $65/month bus pass. My spouse still has their car, so we use that if needed. It's been a real lifechanger.

I don't know that PT is ever going to out-convenience a private car trip, barring things like car-free districts. It doesn't have to - it just has to be useful enough for daily commuting that you can downsize your private vehicles (and save a bunch of money). If you aren't looking to do that...welp.