Tasmanians have been travelling free on buses since 30 March, after the Rockliff government announced the scheme as a cost-of-living measure running until 1 July.
The move comes as fuel costs continue to squeeze household budgets. A return trip from Deloraine to Launceston covers roughly 100 kilometres by road. At current petrol prices ($2.09 for 91 unleaded), that journey would typically use around six litres of fuel and cost $12.54 in a car like a Toyota RAV4. Under the free travel scheme, the same trip costs nothing by bus.
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For regular commuters, the savings on fares alone are significant. An adult travelling from Deloraine to Launceston and back would normally pay $10.20 per day. A student or child fare runs $4 return, and seniors or pensioners would usually pay $4.60 for the same there-and-back travel. Over a working week, an adult making that daily commute would save more than $50 in fares.
The government pointed to a 20 per cent increase in public transport use across the state in the weeks around the announcement, suggesting many Tasmanians are trying new ways to get to where they need to go. The scheme covers all public bus routes statewide.
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