Here’s a money saver! Sydney public transport to be completely free until April 25th
Forget 12 days of Christmas, how about twelve days of free public transport? Over the Easter long weekend, and through to the end of the school holidays, all public transport across the Opal Network in New South Wales will be free.
The NSW Government has decided to make all transport across the public transport network free until the 25th of April. This includes trains, buses, light rails and metro services, and ferries. (Technically the deal ends on the 26th of April at 4:00am, but you’d have to get up pretty early if you want to travel for free then).
The temporary changes are taking place across the Opal Network: so that includes Greater Sydney, Illawarra, the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and the Central Coast.
All you have to do is tap-on like usual, and your fare will be free. Be careful to still tap on, otherwise you may leave yourself open to getting fined for not having a valid ticket.
Tap and travel for free from today until April 25, anywhere on the Opal network.
— Trains Info (@TrainsInfo) April 13, 2022
Tap on and tap off each time with a valid Opal card, American Express, Mastercard or Visa to get your free travel. Enjoy the ride and remember to wear your mask.https://t.co/fAIr2QoBBJ pic.twitter.com/tPXWkXstgg
Why is public transport free?
The NSW government said that the initiative is being put in place to help people recover from the financial impacts of the pandemic, and also “recent adverse weather and disruptions to the rail network.”
The move should deliver some hip pocket relief for families wanting to get out and about during the coming weeks of holidays. And anyone still needing to commute in and out of the city will appreciate the savings.
With the Fuel Excise savings from the 2022 federal budget finally hitting the pumps, and this cut to public transport costs, it looks like there will be a little less of a pinch on transport over the Easter Period.
Will Regional Public Transport be free?
According to the NSW Government, the fare free 12 days does not cover NSW TrainLink Regional trains and coaches including XPT and Xplorer services. The initiative is designed to encourage people to get out and about in Sydney over the next two weeks and to support small businesses and promote spending.
If you want to get out of town for free on public transport, destinations on the Opal network could include a ferry trip to Manly Beach, or a ride down to Kiama to see the mighty Blowhole. Otherwise you could head all the way out to the Blue Mountains for some mountainous activity via the western train line.
For more advice and tips on handling rising costs of living, check out Mozo’s family finances Hub for more.