Tasmania Joins Victoria, Offers Free Public Transport Amid Ongoing Fuel Crisis

Victoria has announced that it will be providing free public transport for one month amid the ongoing fuel crisis.

Tasmania, on the other hand, will offer free public transport all the way until July.

Victoria, Tasmania to Offer Free Public Transport

According to a report by 9News, trains, trams and buses will be free from March 31 until the end of April. This means that there is no need for passengers to touch on or off during this period.

“This won’t solve every problem but it’s an immediate step to help Victorians right now while we keep working on new solutions to make Victoria more affordable,” Premier Jacinta Allan said.

Free public transport in Tasmania, meanwhile, began Monday, according to the BBC.

“We know the rising cost of fuel is impacting the family budget, and that’s why we have again taken strong and decisive action to protect Tasmanians,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

In addition, Tasmania’s transport minister, Kerry Vincent, likewise noted that paid-for school buses would also be made free.

NSW Doubles Down on Decision Not to Offer Free Public Transport

While many Aussies may be hopeful that other states will follow their lead, New South Wales has already doubled down on its decision to not offer free public transport.

“When it comes to public transport, as I think you flagged earlier, we are obviously looking at what our options would be, but I can definitely tell you it’s an expensive decision,” State Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said

According to a separate 9News report, Mookhey added that NSW is not completely counting the option out. It simply wants to wait and see what happens with the Middle East conflict.

However, Transport Minister John Graham seems to have already ruled out the possibility.

“We’ve seen some other states move on some calls for free public transport,” said Graham. “I want to be clear, the NSW government isn’t going down the path of free public transport for a couple of days or for a month.”

“This situation will last more than a month,” he pointed out. ” We need to keep our powder dry to be able to assist the broader economy.”