Article: Public transport fares to rise again

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Public transport fares to rise again

Public transport fares to rise again
Adam Carey
June 7, 2012

PUBLIC transport fares will rise again next year after the Baillieu government killed off a Greens push in State Parliament yesterday to freeze them at their current level for the next two years.

A spokeswoman for the Minister for Public Transport, Terry Mulder, defended the looming fare rise, which was not listed in the recent state budget, saying it was merely putting in place a price increase that had been budgeted for by the former Brumby government two years ago.

''Labor's transport plan included in the forward estimates of their last budget anticipated fare increases,'' she said.

''Any fare increase will be applied at the normal time, which is 1 January each year.''

But the opposition's public transport spokeswoman, Fiona Richardson, said the government's defence rang hollow, because the Coalition had scrapped the infrastructure improvements contained in Labor's Victorian transport plan.

''The transport plan had forward estimates of fare increases based on improvements [to the system],'' Ms Richardson said.

''The only thing they've pulled out of the transport plan is the fare increase, none of the other bits and bobs.''

Public transport fares rose by 8.6 per cent on average on New Year's Day this year, which was the biggest jump since 2004. A further 5 per cent increase for next year, plus inflation, was budgeted for in Labor's forward estimates before they lost government.

Mr Mulder's spokeswoman did not say how much fares would increase next year.

Victorian Greens upper house leader Greg Barber attempted yesterday to pass a bill through the house that would have frozen fares at their current rates for another two years. The Coalition defeated the bill, with Victorian Minister for Health David Davis defending its prerogative to raise fares.

The last public transport fare freeze was in 2010, the only year in the past decade in which fares did not go up.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said it was the Baillieu government's decision to raise fares, rather than one that could be pinned on the previous government. ''If the government was committed to reducing the cost of living they would find the money elsewhere rather than increase public transport fares by a big jump again,'' he said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/public-transport-fares-to-rise-again-20120606-1zwqp.html