A key McGowan Government 2021 election commitment to cap public transport fares will come into effect on January 1, 2022.
All public transport travel will be capped at a two-zone fare, meaning passengers will pay no more than $4.90 one-way for a cash ticket or $3.92 if they use a SmartRider with Autoload.
This could equate in savings of as much as $3,000 a year on public transport travel.
For train commuters travelling to Perth from Mandurah, this equates to a saving of up to $6.40 on a single journey, putting $64 a week back in their pockets if they commute five times a week.
Those living in Dawesville will enjoy the biggest benefit, with up to $8.20 taken off the price of a trip to the Perth CBD, allowing them to save up to $82 a week.
Patrons planning to use the new METRONET stations will also benefit including:
- Ellenbrook, a saving of up to $9 per week;
- Byford, a saving of up to $20 per week;
- Eglinton and Alkimos, a saving of up to $36 per week;
- Yanchep, a saving of up to $47 per week;
- Lakelands, a saving of up to $64 per week.
Most regional Western Australian towns with a Government-subsidised bus service only have one or two zones (noting the zone design is the same as in Perth) however, both Busselton (three zones) and Karratha (five zones) will benefit from the new two-zone cap.
Meanwhile, travel on all Transperth services will be free between midnight and 6am on New Year’s Day to help those out celebrating to get home quickly and safely.
Trains will run through the night and into New Year’s Day, with increased capacity on all lines except Mandurah. Extra buses on some routes will also be in service either side of midnight, and ferries will run until 1am.
Due to the ongoing Mandurah Line shutdown, trains will not be running between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove stations. Instead, train replacement buses on routes 909 and 949 will run between the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and Aubin Grove until 2am.
Masks are mandatory on all Transperth services, until January 4, unless you have an exemption. Mask wearing is encouraged at all train stations, bus stops and ferry jetties.
Passengers are encouraged to use the Transperth website or app to plan their journey.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“One of our key election commitments was to cap public transport fares at two zones – meaning no matter where you live, you will not pay any more than $4.90 for a one-way trip.
“This will be a game changer for public transport commuters and potentially save people thousands of dollars a year.
“We anticipate this will take up to 5,300 cars off our roads each day, slashing yearly car trips by 1.93 million.
“It will also reduce congestion, slash the amount of cars on our roads – in particular in the outer suburbs where we see continued growth and continued pressure on our freeway system.
“With 15 METRONET projects under construction, planned or completed, there will be many benefits for public transport users for years to come.”
