Starting from tomorrow, Canberra families will be slugged even more just for getting to work or school. Bus fares and parking fees will rise again to pay back the massive deficits racked up under ACT Labor, said the Shadow Minister for Transport Services, Alistair Coe.

For a family with two parents parking in Woden and Civic and two children going to school and CIT on the bus, there will be a massive increase of almost $650 a year. This comes after last year’s transport hike of $1200. Now, families can pay more than $5,000 a year.

Case study: A Canberra family with a parent driving to work in Woden and one to Civic, and one child getting a bus to school and one getting a bus to CIT:

Before 2010 Budget After 2010 Budget Increase
Parent (parking in Woden) $6.00 per day
$1500 per year		 $7.00 per day
$1750 per year		 $1.00 per day
$250 per year
Parent (parking in Civic) $9.00 per day
$2250 per year		 $10.50 per day
$2650 per year		 $1.50 per day
$375 per year
Child (bus to and from CIT) $2.45 per day
$490 per year		 $2.52 per day
$504 per year		 $0.07 per day
$14 per year
Child (bus to and from school) $1.20 per day
$240 per year		 $1.24 per day
$248.80 per year		 $0.04 per day
$8.80 per year
Total $4480 per year $5127.80 per year $1169 per year

Assumptions: One child buys Faresaver 10 tickets for 5 days per week, 40 weeks per year; One child buys 4 school term tickets, Parents work 5 days per week for 50 weeks per year

“These increased transport costs will be felt by Canberra families, and this is in addition to rises in the cost of rates, water and electricity,” Mr Coe said.

“If the Government wants to use price levers to try and encourage people to get on public transport, there is nothing strategic about increasing the price of parking at the same time as pushing up the price of bus fares. This is at a time when parking in the city and at town centres is getting harder and the bus network is getting worse.

“ACT Labor continues to tax Canberra families more every year for basics like car registration, parking, buses, electricity and water yet deficits are high and services haven’t improved.

“It is further evidence that under an ACT Labor Government, Canberrans are paying more and getting less,” Mr Coe concluded.