Do not leave public transport up to the "free" market

And we build all of this infrastructure with public money (possibly deficit spending) because, for a number of reasons – from the unsustainability of growth on the roads, to the finite nature of the world’s oil supply, to tackling climate change – it’s imperative that we encourage people out of their cars and onto our trains and trams. Public transport is a natural monopoly; it’s not something we can leave up to the wondrous “free market”. As the last thirty years have demonstrated. So we fund it through our taxes, as an important public service.

And there’s no need to punish the poorest Victorians, concession-card holders, in order to do it.

anonymouslefty

Free public transport will save money on roads

I think we should make public transport free. This has worked wonders in a number of European cities where the use of P/T increased 10 fold and big savings were made on maintaining roads as people were leaving their cars at home. For this idea to work in Canberra, to start with we would need adequate services for commuters to work and school (as a resident of West Belconnen I think the ACTION service is appalling).

How could you pay for this? There would be savings on road maintenance and less necessity for building new roads. Raising rates to cover the shortfall would also be a motivator, as people know that they are already paying for the service.

bytetime commenting on Canberra2030.org.au

Climate deniers are paid killers, people are dying right now from climate change

Yes, man-made climate change denial is about politics, but it’s more pragmatic than ideological. The politics have been shaped around the demands of industrial lobby groups, which happen, in many cases, to fund those who articulate them. Right-wingers are making monkeys of themselves over climate change not just because their beliefs take precedence over the evidence, but also because their interests take precedence over their beliefs. George Monbiot

Adelaide: New free tram service a success -- will be made permanent.

TRAM travel between Adelaide's Entertainment Centre and the city will always be free, the South Australian government says.

Premier Mike Rann says the service has been a "terrific success'' since it started carrying passengers in March.

The government had planned to offer free travel for just six months on the $100 million extension, which runs from the western end of the city's North Terrace to the Entertainment Centre.

The new service was inspiring more people to use public transport, the premier said at Sunday's official opening of the route.
AdelaideNow

Rally 4 Free Public Transport! Planet B4 Profits!

Rally 4 Free Public Transport! Planet B4 Profits!

Having free, frequent and accessible public transport will increase the amount of people using it and we already spend way more money than we would need to do it on stupid things like locking up refugees (we're still the only 1st world country that does that), invading Iraq & Afghanistan and supporting the 'War on Terror' or just giving it to big business. Just 2% of the $6 billion energy & transport subsidies for big business could replace Adelaide Metro’s fare revenue for an entire year.

Protest 2pm Sat Oct 30 @ Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide.

Download a PDF of the above leaflet in A4 or A6 and start getting the word out!

Plus, join our Facebook event

Free Public Transport -- to fight hypocrisy!

NOw if public transport was free, would more people use it? The government should make it free to cut down on pollution and accidents.

For us, with 5 children it costs more to use PT than it does to drive. I think that's rididculous.

Sure the money they make from it will be lost, but so what? We are supposed to be 'saving the world' with all these meetings and crap they do that never seem to reach conclusions and I'm sure cost a fortune to set up and attend.

I am so sick of people driving their petrol fueled cars to electricity sucking shopping centres and buying over packaged, over processed items and then saying 'Oh, no' to a plastic bag like they're doing their bit. It's hypocritical and quite frankly hilarious.

People won't give up their cars, they won't give up all the convenience and ease, we all waste and use and moan about pollution and global warming. But there is just never a big big effort made, a big step forward. Like making PT free or restricitng car use, offering incentives for those who use their cars little. PSAs about car use, the dangers of overcrowded roads and pollution.

Oh well, we will continue on our hypocritical ways forever I am sure, I often wonder how the world will be when fossil fules run out, I imagine it will be a nicer place! autumntree on essentialbaby forum

Govt plans to divert solar money to auto subsidy

If re-elected, the Government says it will offer owners of pre-1995 vehicles a $2,000 rebate for upgrading to more fuel efficient cars.

But solar energy advocates, the Greens and the Coalition have slammed the proposal, as more than half of the funding for it will be taken from the Government's solar infrastructure program. ABC

Humans extinct in 100 years - Frank Fenner

Fenner said that climate change is only at its beginning, but is likely to be the cause of our extinction. “We’ll undergo the same fate as the people on Easter Island,” he said. More people means fewer resources, and Fenner predicts “there will be a lot more wars over food.”
Easter Island is famous for its massive stone statues. Polynesian people settled there, in what was then a pristine tropical island, around the middle of the first millennium AD. The population grew slowly at first and then exploded. As the population grew the forests were wiped out and all the tree animals became extinct, both with devastating consequences. After about 1600 the civilization began to collapse, and had virtually disappeared by the mid-19th century. Evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond said the parallels between what happened on Easter Island and what is occurring today on the planet as a whole are “chillingly obvious.”
The Tech Journal

When you are in a hole --- Stop digging!

Oz turns to oceans for drinking water | World | News | Toronto Sun: "By 2012, when the last plant is scheduled to be up and running, Australia's big cities will get 30% of their water from the oceans, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The government says Australia's latest decade-long drought was largely caused by climate change and one official called the $13-billion desalination programme 'the cost of adapting to climate change.'
But critics of the massive infrastructure scheme say desalination will increase climate change because of the large quantities of energy it requires and other, cheaper measures — such as stricter conservation, a better grid supply system and even more efficient washing machines — can easily make Australia's existing water supplies stretch farther."

Lifehacker’s Free Public Transport Guide, 2010 Edition

By Angus Kidman on July 5, 2010 at 11:30 AM


Public transport is generally cheaper than jumping in a car, but in capital cities, you can often get around the CBD without paying at all. Here’s the options for free buses and trams across Australia’s major cities.

Free bus services are often designed to appeal to tourists, which explains why they’re largely found in the middle of major cities. However, whether you’re a visitor to town or a seasoned local, they can be a useful option for getting around, especially in inclement weather. The main restriction is that many don’t operate outside of standard business hours; if you’re looking for a late night solution, you’re going to end up paying almost everywhere (except Adelaide and Perth).

We published a similar guide last year; we’ve updated this one to incorporate reader comments and new options. Combined with our airport transfers guide, you can enjoy a visit to any of Australia’s major cities at minimal fiscal and environmental cost. Click on the links for access to the relevant timetables and route information.
Sydney

The 555 bus runs in a loop in both directions between Circular Quay and Central Station. The frequency is pretty good — once every 10 minutes. On weekdays, it runs from 9:30am to 3:30pm (extended to 9:00pm on Thursdays). On weekends, it operates from 9:30am to 6:00pm.
Melbourne

The City Circle Tram is Melbourne’s most visible free option, running every 12 minutes around the outer edge of the Melbourne CBD (both clockwise and anti-clockwise). It runs between 10:00am and 6:00pm Sunday to Wednesday, and 10:00am to 9:00pm Thursday to Saturday. The City Tourist Shuttle bus offers more access to tourist destinations, but is less frequent and slower. It runs every 30 minutes, takes 90 minutes to do a full loop, and operates between 9:30am and 4:30pm daily.
Brisbane

Brisbane offers two loop buses, one for CBD covering the main area of the city and one for Spring Hill. The CBD loop runs 07:00am to 6:00pm , with departures every 15 minutes. Spring Hill runs from 08:16am to 6:00pm, with departures every 10 minutes. Annoyingly, neither service runs on weekends or public holidays.
Perth

Perth remains the champion city for free public transport, with three free loop buses as well as free use of all transit services (trains and buses) within the CBD area bounded by City West and Claisebrook. There’s a map of the Free Transit Zone and a slightly onerous list of conditions on the Transperth site.

If you’re worried about overstepping the boundaries with that option, there are also three free CAT bus services which operate entirely within the free CBD area: the east-west Red and Yellow services, and the North-South Blue service. Services generally operate from around 07:00am to 06:00pm on weekdays, with frequencies of roughly once every seven minutes. Weekends have later starting times and lower frequencies. As well, there are free CAT buses which operate in Freemantle and Joondalup (though the latter don’t run on weekends). Full details for all the services are on the CAT information page
Adelaide

The iconic Glenelg tram is free between North and South Terrace within the city, and along Jetty Road within Glenelg. It runs every 7 or so minutes between 8:00am and 6:00pm Monday to Friday, every 15 minutes between 09:00am and 6:00pm Saturdays and Sundays, and every 20 minutes at other times.

If you’d prefer a bus, the 99C runs a loop across the northern half of the CBD from 08:00am to 09:00pm, with services every 15 minutes until 06:00pm and additional services on Friday nights. Weekend services run every 30 minutes. Adelaide City Council operates the Adelaide Connector service, which covers a wider area (incorporating North Adelaide as well) but with only one bus an hour.
Newcastle

The Fare Free Bus scheme allows free travel on any government bus between 07:30am and 6:00pm every day.

Know of a free transport option we’ve missed? Share it in the comments.

Lifehacker Australia editor Angus Kidman will always take the free bus, thanks. His Road Worrier column, looking at technology and organising tips for travellers, appears each week on Lifehacker.

lifehacker.com.au