The Student Transport Riders Association – the voice of Victoria's student commuters – announces its vision for public and active transport (sustainable transport) in Melbourne Naarm and Victoria.

The organisation revealed today its plan, dubbed the 'FAST' Plan, for improving access and uptake of sustainable transport. STRA urges all levels of government, alongside schooling institutions to adopt a simple 50% modeshare goal by 2030. That means at least half of commuters to schools, tafes, and universities get to class using sustainable transport by the end of this decade.

STRA proposes four key factors which can improve sustainable transport modeshare:

• Fares: We need a simpler, cheaper fare system for financially precarious students and young people.
• Accessibility: Sustainable transport is for everyone, no education institution should go without accessible public transport.
• Sustainability: The carbon cost of manufacturing and maintaining combustion and battery electric motor vehicles is too high, to achieve sustainability goals we must prioritise active and public transport.
• Time: Students and young people deserve the freedom to study, work, and play whenever and wherever they want, it's imperative that fast and frequent transport operates throughout the day (and night) to get them where they need to go.

By implementing FAST strategies, STRA aims to work with the government and other stakeholders to improve the lives and commutes of students across Victoria.

"Our FAST Plan defines clear, proven factors which can improve sustainable transport modeshare," said STRA President Duale Siad.

"We're calling on the government and schooling institutions to adopt a simple, 50% modeshare target to put Victoria on the right track when it comes to transport.

"Transport is the only sector in Australia which is growing its carbon output and private battery electric vehicles don't provide a credible long-term solution, it's time that Victorian students led the charge on climate change by ensuring that public and active transport take priority in the future of mobility."