- State Budget allocates $152 million to cap public transport fares to one zone
- New capped fares will take effect from 1 January 2026
- All trips on the network will be just $2.80 for SmartRider with autoload
- Regular commuters to save a further $625 per year under changes,on top of the thousands many are already saving as a result of the existing two-zone fare cap
- A further $18.2 million allocated to permanently halve Transwa fares across the State
Getting around on public transport will soon become even more affordable with the Western Australian Labor Government today announcing an investment of $152 million in the State Budget to deliver its key election promise of a suburban flat fare.
The major commitment will see the existing Transperth nine-zone system abolished and fares - already benefiting from a two-zone cap introduced in January 2022 - further reduced to a suburban flat fare.
The existing two-section fare for journeys less than 3.2 kilometres will remain in place.
The major shakeup to the fare systems and structures means that from 1 January 2026, passengers will pay no more than $2.80 to get anywhere on the network when using SmartRider's autoload function.
The change will make Western Australia one of the most affordable states in the country to get around on public transport.
On average, over 70,000 commuters travel more than two zones every work day, meaning these changes will deliver savings to tens of thousands of people every single day.
For example, a person living in Dawesville who regularly uses public transport to commute into the city will save a further $625 a year in transport costs on top of the more than $3,000 they are already saving under the existing two-zone cap.
The changes are also expected to encourage more public transport use and alleviate congestion on the road network.
The one-zone fare cap will also be extended to Transregional bus services.
The government also announced today it would invest $18.2 million to deliver its key election commitment to halve the cost of all Transwa fares.
The 50 per cent cut to all Transwa fares will take effect from 1 January 2026, making it cheaper to travel to and from more than 200 destinations across regional WA.
As part of the new fare structure, an adult with a return ticket will save up to:
- $100 on the Prospector between Perth and Kalgoorlie;
- $36 on the new Australind train between Perth and Bunbury;
- $107 on a road coach between Perth and Esperance; and
- $93 on a road coach between Perth and Kalbarri.
This will not only make regional travel more affordable but also more enticing by promoting visitation to WA's regional communities, which in turn will support those local economies.
The changes build on the numerous public transport-related initiatives introduced by the WA Labor Government in the past three years aimed at providing cost-of-living relief to WA families including the previous two-zone fare cap, free travel every Sunday, free travel to and from school for students, and free travel every day of the week during the Summer of Free Public Transport.
For more information, visit https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Transport costs are one of the biggest expenses many WA households have to budget for and that's why we made this major commitment to the people of Western Australia.
"Unlike the Liberals and Nationals, who put forward no plan for public transport and spend their time attacking our initiatives, our government is getting on with what we promised.
"Over the past three years we've seen how beneficial the two-zone cap has been for the tens of thousands of people who have to commute each day, and from 1 January next year, that will become even cheaper.
"For an average commuter in Dawesville, who in 2021 was paying $13.10 for a one-way cash ticket to the city, it means their commute will cost no more than $3.50 (or $2.80 if they're using a SmartRider) - a saving of up to $100 a week.
"The savings are not just for our city commuters - public transport users in several regional centres will also get to enjoy a cap on their fares, while our permanent 50 per cent reduction in Transwa fares will make it cheaper to get to and from hundreds of regional destinations.
"All up, this will mean huge savings for tens of thousands of Western Australians and their families."
