It has been a year since the Victorian Government capped the public transport daily regional fare, and the government says the move has had transformative impacts on commuters and seen record numbers using services.
The government introduced the regional fare cap on March 31 last year, capping the daily regional fare at the same price as the daily metropolitan fare.
That meant a return ticket from Shepparton to Melbourne, which previously cost $53.60, was capped at the daily metro fare of $10.60.
The government said Victorians had been showing enthusiasm for the change, with patronage hitting record numbers in December, January and February.
According to the government, there was a 48 per cent increase in trips taken on the Shepparton line between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, compared with the corresponding period 12 months earlier.
It said in 2023-24, 456,298 trips had been taken on the Shepparton line since the introduction of the cap, compared to 307,088 in 2022-23.
On the Seymour line, there was a 26 per cent increase, with 768,690 trips taken in 2023-24 compared to 608,323 in 2022-23.
“The Shepparton line has recorded almost 500,000 passenger trips since the introduction of the regional fare cap 12 months ago, as more Victorians make the most of reduced fares,” Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said.
“The regional fare cap has transformed the way people travel around the state and we’re rolling out more train services than ever before to support the demand.
“We’ve made fares fairer no matter where you live, easing the cost of living for Victorians, and saving them millions of dollars since it was introduced a year ago.”
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the fare cap had made public transport more relevant for travellers.
“Whether you’re travelling throughout regional Victoria or heading into Melbourne for a show or the footy, with regional fares now so affordable, public transport really is the way to see what our regions have to offer,” the Labor MP said.
Meanwhile, the government said regional areas, such as Shepparton, would be included in the rollout of the new ticketing system to replace Myki, but has not said when.
A spokesperson said the new contract with Conduent would see improved features across the state.
“The new ticketing features will be rolled out state-wide, including to areas in regional Victoria, such as Shepparton, that are currently not serviced by Myki,” they said.
“Victoria’s public transport ticketing system is constantly being improved to make travel across the network easier and more convenient.”
New features will include tap-and-go payment options, including credit cards, wearable devices such as smartwatches, digital wallets on smartphones and QR codes; account-based ticketing — removing the risk of losing the balance on misplaced Myki cards; and new, modern ticket readers.