Melton residents are embracing public transport with passengers across the state saving more than $50 million since the regional fare cap was introduced.

The Allan Labor Government introduced the regional fare cap on 31 March last year, making regional public transport more affordable by capping the daily regional fare at the same price as the daily metropolitan fare.

The fare cap is helping ease cost of living pressures with a return ticket to Ballarat previously costing $45.60 now capped at the daily metro fare of $10.60.

Victorians have been showing their enthusiasm for cheaper regional travel with patronage hitting record numbers in December, January and February.

Passengers on the Ballarat line are voting with their feet for cheaper and fairer fares, with 1,942,085 trips taken since the introduction of the Labor Government’s regional fare cap.

V/Line has also added hundreds of special services across the network, put on extra carriages, utilised standby coaches and trialed new reservations procedures to meet increased demand.

Regular special services have been running most weekends on the busy Wyndham Vale, Bacchus Marsh and Albury corridors, to give passengers more options to get to where they need to go.

Almost 200 extra permanent weekend services will be added thanks to a $219 million Labor Government investment in the Victorian Budget 23/24.

V/Line runs more than 2,250 scheduled train and 1,500 coach services every week, with more than 800 new services added onto the V/Line network since 2014.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams

“We’ve made fares fairer no matter where you live – easing the cost of living for Victorians, saving them millions of dollars saved since it was introduced a year ago.”

“We’re delighted fairer fares have been so popular and we’ll continue transforming the regional rail network – up-grading every line in the state, adding bigger and better trains and additional services.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie

“With regional fares now so affordable, public transport really is the way to see what regional Victoria and its surrounds has to offer.”