[Jan Fisher]

The Australian Greens have proposed that all forms of public transport should be free, transport services should be back in public hands and pets should be allowed on public transport.

Is there merit in the proposal? Free public transport would certainly decrease traffic on the road, but is it even feasible?

Don’t get me wrong, I love public transport, but there would have to be a massive injection of funds to make it more efficient to a level that would match demand.

And while this is all very good for city dwellers, it’s not going to do much for regional and rural residents apart from maybe make their very occasionally buses free.

The idea to let pets on is well intentioned, but I’m afraid there’s far too many entitled pet owners out there to make this work.

You only have to look at the out-of-control dogs, pet waste and ‘abandoned’ dog poo bags on a walk around your local streets to see public transport and pets don’t mix.

Would you use public transport if it was free?

[A. Law.]

Surely compared to road tolls public transport costs are quite reasonable.
Equally the cost is cheap compared to the costs associated with motor vehicles

[Ms Leith]

Toll fess are exorbitant in NSW, nomads can’t claim back, they should be made much lower especially for pensioners.

Animals on public transport are already allowed for registered service/companion dogs. Until they have a compartment for ‘caged’ animals to travel, like interstate travel, they shouldn’t be allowed to travel on public transport.

Sometimes it’s ‘standing room only’ on the 2 light rails around Sydney CBD, Circular Quay & Pyrmont, so having animals onboard would make the trip untenable.

[David Miller]

I am sorry to say this but the Greens have no common sense. How can you allow pets on buses. Only one thing to say “Greens are idiots.”

[Jacka]

Of course public transport should not be free. Nothing should be free. If you don’t pay or make effort to receive something you do not appreciate it and there are, God knows, enough bludgers and no hopers around at the moment without encouraging more. Jacka. Next Question.

[Waldemar Mopera III]

There is an old saying that goes, you have to teach a man how to fish rather than giving him a fish for free. In this way, you’ll teach him how to get his own food for life rather than giving a food that will only last for one meal. Just like when it comes to public transportation, if it is given for free every day then expect that huge chunks of the national budget will be allotted to free transportation which can be really damaging to the economy of the country. There is nothing wrong in giving free rides if it is only for a limited timeframe but for life then it is a big no because in that case, it will be just another band-aid solution.

[Author]

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