00:00In Queensland, a little goes a long way.
00:0650 cent fares have become a real hit.
00:0950 cents tapped on, tapped off.
00:12I did on Wednesday.
00:13It was fantastic.
00:14I am one that takes public transport all the time.
00:17It has helped me a lot.
00:19Today, the Premier made a new promise to the faithful in Brisbane.
00:23Telling them cheaper rides will stay under Labor.
00:27If we're elected in October, we'll make 50 cent fares permanent.
00:31Well, we've put the thrifty back into 50.
00:33The cheap fares trial began in August and includes ferry cat services,
00:37buses, trains and the Gold Coast Light Rail.
00:41The government says since then there have been 3 million extra trips
00:45compared to the same time last year,
00:47saving commuters $37 million.
00:50And it's not just in the southeast.
00:52Trip numbers have also risen in regional Queensland,
00:55up 30% in Mackay, 21% in the Whitsundays
00:59and just over 14% in Cairns.
01:03We set out to return patronage levels to pre-COVID levels
01:08and instead we've surged past that.
01:10Bus drivers say it has made their jobs safer.
01:13All the incidents that we have, a lot of it's through fares.
01:16The opposition has now vowed to support the initiative
01:19and, like the government, is promising to improve transport connectivity.
01:24Not only will we lock in 50 cent fares,
01:26we've got a plan to make sure that we increase frequency, reliability
01:31and safety for regional Queensland and those outer Brisbane areas.
01:35The election campaign is now in full swing,
01:38the LNP unveiling their candidates and brand new bus
01:41they'll use to spread their message across the state.
01:44We have a bus and a real plan for Queensland's future.
01:48Just 41 sleeps to go.
Comments