- Cook Labor Government locking in free public transport for all passengers on Sundays and students travelling to and from school
- $70 million being invested in State Budget 2026-27 to continue initiatives and provide ongoing cost-of-living relief for Western Australian families
- With public transport more affordable than ever, record numbers of Western Australians are now using buses, trains and ferries
- Cook Labor Government committed to delivering affordable and accessible public transport across WA
Free public transport on Sundays and for students travelling to and from school will be made permanent, as part of the Cook Labor Government's commitment to delivering long-term cost-of-living relief for Western Australian families.
The Cook Labor Government will invest $70.1 million in the State Budget 2026-27 to continue the major cost-of-living initiatives.
The Ride to School Free Program was established in 2024 and provides free transport to students travelling to and from school, when they tag on and off with a valid SmartRider.
The program benefits every student that rides the bus or train to school with around 300,000 students currently holding Student SmartRiders.
For families with two children travelling to and from school daily on public transport, the initiative is delivering savings of up to $560 across the school year.
Free travel on Sundays was also established in 2024, with more than 8 million passengers making the most of the initiative.
Travel is also free for WA Seniors Card holders during off-peak times Monday to Friday and across the entire weekend.
The announcement comes as patronage records continue to tumble on Western Australia's public transport network.
Figures released today showed last month was an all-time record, with nearly 15.7 million boardings across train, bus or ferry services in March.
It smashed the previous monthly record achieved in March 2012 by nearly 1.5 million boardings, with a 14 per cent increase in patronage compared to the same month last year.
Providing reliable and affordable public transport through METRONET is a key way the Cook Labor Government is supporting Western Australians to manage the cost of living.
Through METRONET more Western Australians have access to public transport across the suburbs, and the introduction of the capped Go Anywhere Fare has made travel cheaper than ever.
Since 1 January, passengers have been able to travel anywhere on the network for as little as $2.80 per trip with a SmartRider with Autoload, or $3.50 if paying with a credit or debit card.
This means passengers who regularly commute to and from the CBD are saving a further $625 per year on top of the savings they received from the Cook Labor Government's two-zone fare cap.
Transwa fares for regional train and coach services have also been permanently halved, making it cheaper to travel to and from more than 200 destinations across regional WA.
The changes are saving someone travelling between Kalgoorlie and Perth on the Prospector $100 on a return journey, while someone travelling between Esperance and Perth is saving $107 on a return trip.
These changes have resulted in more passengers using regional services, with overall patronage increasing by 21 per cent in March compared to the same month in 2025, including a 22 per cent increase in patronage on the Prospector.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"My government's State Budget 2026-27 is about delivering real cost of living support for Western Australians.
"Our responsible budget management and focus on maintaining Western Australia's status as the strongest economy in the nation means we can make cost-of-living measures, such as free Sunday travel, permanent.
"After my government introduced the Go Anywhere Fare, making public transport more affordable than ever, record numbers of Western Australians are now using buses, trains and ferries to get around."
As stated by Treasurer and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Accessible and affordable public transport is an important way the Cook Labor Government is keeping costs down for Western Australian families during these globally uncertain times.
"That's why we're locking in these successful free public transport initiatives for the long-term so thousands more Western Australians can travel across the network for free every week.
"Not only has our historic METRONET expansion connected more Western Australians to public transport than ever before, our Go Anywhere Fare has made travel the cheapest it's been in decades.
"We know these practical initiatives are providing real relief to families, with a record number of people choosing to make use of our public transport network last month. "Our government is committed to using our strong economic position to deliver real cost-of-living relief for Western Australians, with more to come in our State Budget 2026-27."
