Minister for Transport and Main Roads The Honourable Brent Mickelberg
LNP’s 50 Cent Fares Save Queenslanders $200M
- Queenslanders have so far saved almost $200 million since the LNP’s Permanent 50 Cent Fares were introduced for public transport.
- This week marks six months since the cheapest public transport fares in Queensland’s modern history became permanent.
- Public transport is the best and cheapest stress-free option for Ekka travel, with Exhibition Station open and 50 cent fares in place.
More than 96 million trips have so far been taken on public transport since the LNP’s Permanent 50 Cent Fares were introduced – delivering cost of living relief and saving Queenslanders almost $200 million.
Since the permanent cost of living relief was delivered in February, data to the end of July, shows there has been a 16 per cent increase in trips on the public transport network across south east Queensland.
Under Labor, there were no plans to make 50 Cent Fares permanent – and they would have ended in February – as they didn’t allocate any funding in the Budget beyond the six-month trial.
Buses saw the biggest jump in patronage numbers, with customers taking 59.1 million trips, followed by trains (26.8 million), trams (6.6 million), and ferries (3.5 million).
Customers across regional Queensland have also jumped on board, with patronage on Translink’s regional buses increasing by 41 per cent in Cairns, 91 per cent in Townsville and 42 per cent in the Whitsunday’s to the end of June.
With the LNP’s Permanent 50 Cent Fares and the Exhibition train station reopening to welcome patrons into the Brisbane Showgrounds, getting to and from the Ekka on public transport in 2025 will be cheap and convenient.
Bus and train connections from across South East Queensland connect with the Exhibition loop service meaning there is no excuse to miss the action.
Regular buses are also running to Herston busway station, just a short walk from Ekka. Bus users should check the Translink journey planner prior to travel with weekend closures of Brisbane CBD busway stations during Ekka.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/103254