Public transport fares will not increase from 1 July, as Canberrans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The ACT Government knows that COVID-19 has put increased pressure on families, and every little bit counts," Minister for Transport, Chris Steel said.
"Many people rely on public transport to get around, and freezing bus and light rail fares will help to ease financial stress during this challenging time.
"In addition to freezing public transport fares, the Government is also freezing other ACT Government charges including parking, business registration and development application fees."
Minister Steel reminded Canberrans that the advice had not changed regarding public transport, which is to avoid travelling during peak times.
"I encourage Canberrans to travel at off-peak times when it is cheaper, and to help reduce crowding on buses and light rail," Minister Steel said.
"Having a MyWay card is still the cheapest way to use public transport, as the card calculates the cheapest possible fare per passenger, based on any eligible concession and daily or monthly fare caps.
"Cash fares are still not being accepted onboard public transport vehicles. We are asking passengers to use MyWay cards or pre-paid tickets."
From the 18th of July, the Network 19 update will commence which will provide 692 extra bus services each weekday – a 17.5% increase – and bring more direct routes, more frequent services and significant improvements across the network for all Canberrans. Light rail will also increase in frequency, with morning weekday services every 5 minutes, instead of every 6 minutes.
"The Network Update will see a large increase in off-peak services to better enable the community to spread out their travel during the pandemic recovery," said Minister Steel.
Public transport fares have not increased since January 2019.
