Greens Demand Free Public Transport Across The Coast

The Greens have announced their Transport platform ahead of the March 25 State Election, which would end the privatisation of the transport system, see better regional bus services and permanent free travel across the entire network.

Hilary van Haren, Candidate for Gosford, has announced, “We have never had high quality, reliable public transport on the Coast, so it’s hard to imagine how much better it could be.

“We want public transport to be good enough that people choose to get the bus or train instead of driving.

“Young people could get to work, or TAFE, or weekend sport without being taxied by parents or spending half a day in transit.

“Others in the community who don’t drive could move around the region as easily as people with cars.

“A new fleet of state-of-the-art electric buses, made in Australia, could get cars off the road, provide manufacturing jobs, reduce traffic and unlock opportunities for work and education. There is no down-side.”

The Greens’ plan includes fast-tracked accessibility upgrades for people with disability, mobility issues or who travel with prams. They also want to see pets allowed on public transport, subject to some controls to ensure the comfort of other passengers.

Candidate for Terrigal, Imogen da Silva, commented on the plan at a community forum in Wagstaff,

“The State Government already subsidises 80% of transport costs to consumers, but there are still people in the community who can’t afford the fares to get where they need to go.”

“We want all public transport to be free, including the ferries, so you can throw away your Opal card”.