Queenslanders will be granted a six-month reprieve on costly train fares to the airport after the government struck a deal with the privately operated rail line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state government announced on Saturday that half-price train tickets to Brisbane airport would be available for six months from 5 August, costing taxpayers $10m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initiative will reduce the price for commuters from $21.90 to $10.95 and bring worker\u2019s weekly tickets down from $43 to $21.50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are providing an express service direct to cost-of-living savings for Queensland families and Queensland workers,\u201d the deputy premier, Cameron Dick, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest cost-of-living relief follows the government\u2019s announcement of 50-cent fares on all public transport over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dick said the government will reassess after the six month trial on the uptake of public transport usage as to whether the scheme will be made permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government also hopes the initiative will decrease road congestion by encouraging more commuters to travel by public transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the airport line Airtrain is privately owned by Britain\u2019s Universities Superannuation Scheme, so the government was forced to negotiate for the latest relief, with further bargaining on the horizon if the cost benefits are to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have to negotiate with the company, that\u2019s the reality,\u201d Dick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: The Guardian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Initiative joins 50c public transport trial as state government targets cost-of-living in move opposition calls short-term fix to long-term issue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":57951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,2090,167,163],"tags":[987,7465],"class_list":["post-57952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-brisbane-airport","category-queensland-rail","category-rail-industry-news-australia-new-zealand","tag-brisbane","tag-queensland"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t