Forget the Train, it’s Cheaper to Drive

• Myki prices are set to rise from January 2017
• Commuters are being encouraged to drive instead
• Public transport expenses may create more chaos on Melbourne’s already overloaded roads.

From January next year, your daily Zone 1 fare will cost double what it did 20 years ago from $4.10 in 1996 to $8.20 in 2017. Yes, prices increase gradually over time, but this just puts it into perspective for you, of just how drastic an increase.

This rise in public transport prices are way too high. In fact, going by the rate of inflation, public transport should only be at $6.86, not $8.20.

The flat fare we have at the moment on public transport is a win for some people and a loss for others. Commuters coming into the CBD from the outer suburbs, for example, pay a cheap rate for Australian standards. However, those already in the city that are taking a tram a few stops to the supermarket are paying the exact same fee.

Is it just me or does this seem a bit off to you?

Sure, there is the free tram zone that takes you around the CBD, but this is only creating over packed trams that are already crowded to begin with. It’s getting to the point where you might have to take your chances with the next tram because you physically cannot get through the door of your tram. We are literally being packed in like sardines.

In this case it seems like the price rise we’re seeing in Myki are helping to cover the cost of the cheap and free fares. However, for many commuters, these fares are rising much faster than the rate of inflation.

In contrast, the Federal petrol excise tax has been frozen for years – giving rise to the question, is driving actually cheaper than public transport?

Is it time to ditch the tram version of cattle class transportation, and make your way to work in the comfort of your air-conditioned car?

The rise in Myki will result in an influx of drivers, which will result in an influx of traffic and an influx of drivers receiving parking tickets for illegal parks due to the shortage of parking spaces in our growing city.

Public transport needs to be affordable, but it also needs many other improvements – I think Melbourne needs to take a leaf out of London’s book and get a fast and convenient underground tube. That way we will have fewer commuters on the roads, and it’ll start taking less than half an hour to get from one end of the city to the other.