In brief
As fuel prices soar in Australia following the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, two states—Victoria and Tasmania—have announced free public transport initiatives. Victoria will offer complimentary travel throughout April, while Tasmania has extended free transport until the end of June. These measures aim to mitigate the impact of rising petrol costs on households. Other states have yet to adopt similar measures as they reserve funds to meet public transport demand.
Public transport in two Australian states will be made free to incentivise people not to drive as fuel prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.
Victoria, home to Melbourne, has said it will have free travel throughout April, while Tasmania has said commuters will not need to pay from Monday until the end of June.
However, other state governments have so far declined to follow suit, with New South Wales (in which Sydney is located) indicating it was reserving funds to meet increased demand for public transport.
Australia is among a host of nations that have seen fuel prices increase sharply since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The near-total blockade of international shipping in the vital waterway - through which around 20% of the world's oil and natural gas flows - has led governments around the world to begin implementing measures to conserve fuel.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to reassure motorists on Friday following reports of panic-buying and petrol stations running dry.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Saturday that trains, trams, and buses in the state would be free for all from Tuesday in a bid to drive down pressure on petrol pumps. This won't solve every problem, but it's an immediate step to help Victorians right now, she said.
Meanwhile, the government of Tasmania - an island off the Australian mainland - announced people would be able to take its coaches, buses, and ferries without charge for the coming few months. Premier Jeremy Rockliff stated, We know the rising cost of fuel is impacting the family budget, and that's why we have again taken strong and decisive action to protect Tasmanians. Tasmanian transport minister also announced that paid-for school buses would be made free, saving families A$20 (£10.40) a week.
Amid these developments, other Australian states have not made similar announcements. New South Wales transport minister John Graham mentioned that they were keeping their funds reserved as they anticipated this situation would last more than a month.
South Australia announced it would expand the number of senior travel cards while absorbing higher fuel costs. Queensland referred to previously launching a flat 50-cent fare last February.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook highlighted that his state had already reduced fares, humorously noting, Rick Astley was top of the charts when fares were this low in Western Australia back in the 80s. Meanwhile, the average price of petrol in Australia rose to A$2.38 a litre last Sunday from around A$2.09 at the conflict's start, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. The rising costs have led several governments worldwide to implement similar fuel-saving measures.
