Cheaper train fares would ease traffic congestion if commuters did the right thing and stopped driving their cars to train stations, according to a Brimbank public transport advocate.
From January 1 next year, Sunbury line train commuters will be able to buy zone 1 tickets.
Premier Denis Napthine said this would save them about $5 a day or $1200 a year.
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Delahey Action Group secretary David Anderson welcomed the changes but said commuters should consider catching a bus to their local railway station.
“There has to be an end to driving a car to a station and parking it there all day when there’s a bus to take them to and from a station,’’ Mr Anderson said. “It’s an opportunity to reduce pollution and clogged roads.”
The Public Transport Users Association’s Tony Morton said poor service for Deer Park and Ardeer commuters on the Ballarat line was a greater deterrent to using public transport than the cost of fares.
“We believe people in Deer Park and Caroline Springs would be much better off having the line duplicated and the frequency increased to match other Melbourne suburban trains, compared to having the current two-hour non-service with a discounted fare,’’ he said.
Mr Morton said upgrades for feeder bus routes in outer suburbs were desperately needed.
