\u201cIt has definitely caused more problems than it solved,\u201d he says. \u201cThe trams are more crowded than ever. They are slower than ever. It is definitely not an upgrade for those paying customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, several experts have also questioned the effectiveness of the free tram zone, including Infrastructure Victoria, which called for it to be scrapped<\/a> in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the zone, which extends from Queen Victoria<\/a> Market to Docklands, Spring Street, Flinders Street station and Federation Square, remains hugely popular with tourists and visitors to the CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The City of Melbourne lord mayor, Nicholas Reece, recently won re-election on a platform that included pushing the government to expand the zone even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExtending the free tram zone is just common sense. A few small changes could connect commuters to more of Melbourne\u2019s key destinations,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reece says extending the zone would support local businesses, encourage visitors to the city, help ease cost-of-living pressures and \u201censure that everyone can enjoy the very best our city has to offer\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not the first time an expansion has been floated. A 2019 parliamentary inquiry<\/a> examined whether the free tram zone should grow to include the University of Melbourne and the neighbouring medical precinct in Parkville, north of the city, as well as the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and casino, and along St Kilda Road to Prahran in the south, taking in the Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But both the department of transport and the tram network operator, Yarra Trams, opposed the idea at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The department of transport told the inquiry expanding the zone would increase the total cost of the scheme from $15m a year to $28m a year, amounting to a more than 10% reduction in Victoria\u2019s fare takings.<\/p>\n\n\n Yarra Trams said extra platforms would be needed to cope with the expected increase in patronage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The department said when the free tram zone was introduced, the number of trips taken within the CBD almost doubled from 18.5m trips a year to 35.5m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of this increase was attributed to commuters taking \u201cshort tram journeys\u201d instead of walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yarra Trams said this surge in patronage \u201charmed the operational efficiency, comfort, passenger satisfaction, and farebox income of tram services\u201d and forced trams to slow down throughout the CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Crystal Legacy, an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Melbourne, says the free tram zone went against one of the key objectives of a high-quality public transport system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe whole point of these sorts of incentives is to try to get people out of their cars and on to public transport,\u201d she says. \u201cInstead, we\u2019ve seen a shift away from people walking short distances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bowen argues it has also led to more cars around the city. He says the PTUA is aware of commuters driving to the edge of the free tram zone to take a tram for the remainder of their trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a problem around Docklands in particular, but possibly other areas as well. If you\u2019re a car park owner, you\u2019d definitely market it to people \u2013 \u2018Park here and catch a free tram the rest of the way,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The parliamentary inquiry ultimately recommended expanding the zone to two stops \u2013 the arts precinct and the casino\/MCEC stop.<\/p>\n\n\n The government, however, rejected the recommendation<\/a>, arguing an expansion would exacerbate overcrowding issues and disadvantage commuters on longer trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Felicia Mariani, the chief executive of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, says the footprint of the free tram zone \u201cserves most attractions\u201d Melbourne has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know that there is a push to extend it over to the Arts Centre, but the reality is you can just get off at Flinders Street and walk that little distance,\u201d Mariani says. However, she says that given it isn\u2019t as easy to walk to the MCEC, it should be included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have so many visitors that come into this town for business events who mistakenly believe that because transport\u2019s free in the CBD that it is included,\u201d she says. \u201cBut they get caught out so many times because they\u2019re going just one stop out of the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legacy, meanwhile, supports expanding the zone to the city\u2019s universities \u2013 or extending concession discounts to postgraduate and international students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A government spokesperson says they have no plans to review the free tram zone. They point instead to temporary expansions of the zone during major events such as the Australian Open, when 4,500 additional services will take ticket holders to Melbourne Park at no extra cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe free tram zone helps reduce boarding times at some of our busiest tram stops and allows passengers to travel freely and easily around Melbourne\u2019s CBD,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the free tram zone, there have been several attempts at free and discounted public transport across the country and party lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the 2022 Victorian election, the then opposition leader Matthew Guy proposed $2 public transport fares to ease cost-of-living pressures for commuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe problems with expansion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Access for outer suburbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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