We reviewed fares for rural and regional bus services during 2020 and have set maximum fares for these services for five years from January 2021.
Rural and regional buses connect people with their communities and provide access to education, employment and health care. In order to improve the affordability of these services and bring fares into line with those for similar services, the December 2020, final report and determination:
- Lowers fares, particularly for longer trips, to ensure that the people who rely on bus services are able to afford them.
- Introduces cheaper and simpler daily ticket options to make comparing fare options easier.
- Allows bus operators to charge passengers using ‘on-demand’ services up to $5 extra for these services. On-demand bus services don’t have a fixed route and can take passengers door-to-door.
- Makes a number of other recommendations aimed at improving the way bus services are contracted and delivered.