Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Public transport student fares

Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (20:10): (2057) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Public Transport. When we compare public transport fares in New South Wales and Victoria it is clear that Victorians are getting the short end of the stick. In New South Wales students get free travel to and from school. However, in Victoria families are paying $4.60 a day in metropolitan areas to send one kid to school. That means a family with two kids catching the bus to school each day is spending almost $50 a week on school travel. We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and this is putting immense pressure on working families. Rent, fuel, food and education costs are all rising, and lower income families are feeling the brunt. My fear is that more kids will be forced to fare evade and risk receiving fines as their families simply cannot afford the transport to school. No child should feel such pressure. We need to act now to reduce the cost-of-living pressures for Victorian families and ensure our young people can access schooling. What could be more important than that? Minister, the action I seek is: will this government recognise the cost-of-living crisis experienced by Victorian families and, like New South Wales, provide all students with free transport to and from school?