{"id":9308,"date":"2019-05-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/uncategorized\/there-s-a-push-to-make-all-public-transport-in-sa-free\/"},"modified":"2019-05-28T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T00:00:00","slug":"there-s-a-push-to-make-all-public-transport-in-sa-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/news\/there-s-a-push-to-make-all-public-transport-in-sa-free\/","title":{"rendered":"There\u2019s A Push To Make All Public Transport In SA FREE"},"content":{"rendered":"

The state government might as well \u201cbite the bullet\u201d and make public transport in South Australia free, argues FIVEAA news director Matthew Pantelis.<\/h3>\n

\u201cLike most government provided passenger transport around the world, Adelaide Metro is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer, ours to some 80 per cent,\u201d Matthew writes in The Advertiser<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour contribution, and those of the people sitting or standing around you right now as you commute, assuming they\u2019ve bothered to pay for their ride, goes to fund the remaining 20 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Paying the remaining 20 per cent would cost the government about an extra $320 million<\/a>, give or take.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s break that down,\u201d writes Matthew. \u201c$320m a year comes down to $26m a month or less than $1m per day. Of course it\u2019s a cost but if that\u2019s the 20 per cent, then we\u2019re already paying the other 80 per cent, or if you prefer it in dollar terms, $1.3bn per year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe extra bit literally is what\u2019s behind the couch, in government spending terms\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine if just 10, or 20 or even 30 per cent of motorists decided to leave the vehicle at home and catch a free bus, tram or train in to the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd finally, do we really want to increase patronage or just talk about it, while doing the time-honoured-all-government-thing of just jacking up the price of tickets as an easy budget fix?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only downside I can see to free transport is there won\u2019t be enough buses, trams or trains to cope with demand. Patronage would go through the roof, Indian train style.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

READ IN FULL HERE<\/a><\/p>\n\n

With p.t. in #Adelaide<\/a> subsidised to the tune of some 75-80%, have you considered biting the bullet & providing the first 100% free capital city network of bus, train & tram services in Aus? Patronage won\u2019t be a problem then!<\/p>— Matthew Pantelis (@MatthewPantelis) May 26, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote> \n