ACT Greens MLA Andrew Braddock brought forward a motion calling on the ACT Government to make public transport travel free for all students, seniors and concession card holders at all times.
Thomas spoke in support of the ACT Greens’ motion, highlighting the impacts of transport poverty on our most vulnerable community members, the importance of Canberra moving away from its entrenched car dependency, and the need to think more creatively about how to support both public and active transport across our city.
Thomas acknowledged that reducing or eliminating fares can boost public transport usage, citing the success of the Queensland Government’s ‘50 cent fare’ initiative, which resulted in patronage increasing by 20 per cent across its network. Thomas called for the ACT Government to provide similar data in relation to its ‘Fare Free Fridays’ trial, which is set to conclude at the end of November 2025.
The motion passed with the unanimous support of the Assembly.