Coalition pledges to cut V/Line fares

V/LINE train fares across Victoria will be slashed in half if the Liberal and National parties win the state election next month.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has pledged to halve fares on regional train lines and make V/Line replacement bus services free of charge for at least four years.

Under the plan, a daily commuter travelling from Bendigo to Melbourne would save $2408 a year, Ballarat to Melbourne $2074 and Geelong to Melbourne $1762.

“For regional Victorians, public transport costs can run into thousands a year,” Mr Guy said.

“Our plan will cut this in half and allows households to put those savings into what really matters.”

Opposition transport spokesman Danny O’Brien said the plan would be particularly beneficial to regional families.

“By halving V/Line fares, our plan will keep more money in regional Victorians’ pockets, while at the same time stimulating tourism in regional Victoria,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Travel costs shouldn’t be a barrier to going about everyday life and under the Liberals and Nationals’ plan, regional Victorians will get the cheap, easy commute they deserve.”

At the weekend, the coalition announced Victorians would pay just $2 for all-day public transport if they won on 26 November.

The $2 flat fare would apply to travel on the metropolitan train, tram and bus network, and on non-V/Line regional city and town services. It has been costed at $1.3 billion and would last four years.

Deputy Premier and Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan suggested regional Victorians were getting the rough end of the stick under the differing coalition pledges.

“The Liberals are leaving behind regional Victoria again by asking us to pay up to 20 times more to use a train than people in Melbourne,” she said.

“Previous Liberal National governments have cut regional train lines, closed regional stations and sold off public transport. If he gets the chance Matthew Guy will do the same again.”

The director of RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, Jago Dodson, said the money would be better spent on improving services.

“The best way to improve use of public transport is to improve the service and the coverage of the service,” he said.

Responding to the State Opposition’s promise to cap metropolitan fares as $2 per day, Professor Dodson said while there was some merit in expanding concession rates in Victoria, blanket fare subsidies would not benefit Victorians evenly.

“The greatest proportion of the benefit of this fair cut will be experienced in the inner and middle parts of our cities where the public transport network is of good quality,” he said.

“Those also tend to be the wealthier areas.”

– BY AAP