2013 Australian Fare Comparison

Sydney - not quite integrated fares

Before writing a conclusion on the 2013 World Fare Comparison, BrizCommuter decided to compare Australian cities in a bit more detail. Car running costs for a Toyota Prius (which is a relatively expensive car to run) have also been thrown into the mix. List of cities is no particular order in this particular blog post.

Fare Zones:

Brisbane/SE Queensland - 23
Melbourne - 2
Sydney - 3 to 5 depending on mode
Perth - 9
Adelaide - 1
Hobart - 3+
Canberra - 1
Townsville - 6
Darwin - 1

As you can see, SE Queensland has far more fare zones than elsewhere in Australia, although this may be due to TransLink's network coverage of more than 200km along the coast. Maybe some fare zone consolidation is required in SE Queensland? Adelaide, Canberra, and Darwin have just one zone. It should be noted that due to variations in the distance in zone borders from the CBD, that some of fares below may vary depending on the exact location.

Peak single adult fare 5km/20km:

Brisbane/SE Queensland - $3.85/$5.13
Melbourne - $3.50/$5.92
Sydney - $3.60/$4.40 train only ($2.10/$3.50 bus only, $5.60/$7 ferry only)
Perth - $2.03/$3.68
Adelaide - $3.19
Hobart - $2.24/$4.80
Canberra - $2.52
Townsville - $2.90/$4.20
Darwin - $3
Car (Toyota Prius*) - $2.77/$11.08

Brisbane has the most expensive peak single adult fare for a 5km journey. Melbourne has the most expensive peak single adult fare for a 20km journey, mainly due to 20km just being over the border of zone two (Melbourne's has just two fare zones). Fare zone consolidation isn't such a good idea for those who live just beyond the fare zone border! Sydney disappointingly has an unintegrated fare structure for single journeys. It should be noted that in most Australian cities it is more expensive to use public transport than to drive a car in the peak for short journeys.

Off peak single fare 5km/20km:

Brisbane/SE Queensland - $3.08/$4.11
Melbourne - $3.50/$5.92
Sydney - $3.60/$4.40 train only ($2.10/$3.50 bus only, $5.60/$7 ferry only)
Perth - $2.03/$3.68
Adelaide - $3.19 ($1.75 inter-peak)
Hobart - $2.24/$4.80
Canberra - $2
Townsville - $2.90/$4.20
Darwin - $3
Car (Toyota Prius*) - $2.77/$11.08

Brisbane fares better off-peak due to the 20% go card off-peak discount, but bus fares are still relatively high. It is still cheaper to drive for 5km off-peak than use public transport in 66% of these cities.

Daily maximum fare 5km/20km:

Brisbane/SE Queensland - $27.72 to $34.65/$36.99 to $46.17
Melbourne - $7/$11.84 ($3.50 on weekend)
Sydney - $22
Perth - Unlimited ($11 after 9am)
Adelaide - $9.10
Hobart - $9 ($4.50 off-peak)
Canberra - $7.60 ($4.60 weekend)
Townsville - $5.80/$8.40
Darwin - $7

Due to lack of daily ticketing product Brisbane with fare capping only occurring after the 9th journey. Perth only has a post-9am daily ticketing fare, and it would be difficult to rack up a fare similar to the maximum in Brisbane. Sydney also fares badly in this comparison for short journeys. It should also be noted that on weekends and weekday evenings Perth offers group travel for up to 7 people for just $11.

Weekly maximum fare 5km/20km (or alternative):

Brisbane/SE Queensland - $34.65/$46.17
Melbourne - $35/$59.20 (28-365 day pass also available at $4.30/$6.64 per day)
Sydney - $44/$52
Perth - Unlimited
Adelaide - Unlimited
Hobart - Unlimited
Canberra - No weekly ($72 to $90.72 maximum per month - 36 journey cap)
Townsville - $23.20/$33.60
Darwin - $20
Car (Toyota Prius*) - $159.79

Weekly maximums are a mixed bag. BrizCommuter could not find any periodical fares for Perth, Hobart, and Adelaide (email BrizCommuter if you know otherwise). Brisbane's capping after the 9th journey makes it cheaper than Melbourne and Sydney for weekly maximums. The Toyota Prius comes out high here - the figures based on 15,000km/year suggest that if you use a car only for commuting it may be more expensive than using public transport, however if you use a car for other purposes (shopping, leisure, school run, etc) then the car may be cheaper overall. This probably requires a more in depth blog post in the future.

Weekday midday off-peak inner-suburban train frequency (per line):

Brisbane/SE Queensland - 15 to 120 minutes
Melbourne - 10 to 20 minutes
Sydney - 15 to 30 minutes
Perth - 7 to 15 minutes
Adelaide - 15 to 30 minutes
Car (Toyota Prius*) - 0 minutes (unless you loose your keys)

Of the 5 major Australian cities with a train network, Brisbane and Adelaide have the worst train frequencies, which reduces the value for money of the fares. It should be noted that in general the bus only cities have lower fares, and Sydney also has lower bus only fares compared to train fares. In a car-obsessed society, frequency is the key to attracting commuters from cars to public transport.

So which Australian city is best or worst for public transport fares? There isn't really an answer. The bus only cities generally have a simpler fare structures, with some issues around periodicals. The cities with trains are a mixed bag, with Brisbane being the most expensive for short single peak journeys and daily travel, and Sydney being the most expensive for frequent weekly use for short journeys.

Fare structures with smart cards seem to be messy, with no perfect solution in Australia. Brisbane lacks a daily fare product. Melbourne's is good, but lacks off-peak incentives (other than free train travel before 7am on weekdays). Perth appears to lack a weekly option. Have Australian cities skimped when purchasing software modules for their smart card systems? For example London's Oyster Card can cope with peak, off-peak, daily, weekly, other periodicals, and different fares between bus, tube, train, tram, and ferry. BrizCommuter may look different smart card systems in a future blog post.

* Car running cost source http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/97029/RACQ-Vehicle-Running-Costs-2012.pdf 

2013 World Fare Comparison - Part 1:
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/2013-world-fare-comparison-part-1.html

2013 World Fare Comparison - Part 2:
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/2013-world-fare-comparison-part-2.html

2013 World Fare Comparison - Part 3:
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/2013-world-fare-comparison-part-3.html
2013 World Fare Comparison - Conclusion and Recommendations
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/2013-world-fare-comparison-conclusion.html