In order to address fuel shortages from the war, STRA calls on the government to partner this change with further fare reform, alongside service frequency improvements (particularly off-peak and on weekends) in the leadup to the election. These changes would help to cement public and active transport as the preferred modes of climate and budget conscious students and young people.

"Normalising public transport timetables across the day and week gives Victorians the freedom to travel at their convenience, freeing up space on roads and in petrol stations for people living and working in the frequently deprived outer suburbs and regions," said STRA President Duale Siad.

"We're living in an unprecedented time for cost of living pressure, putting the state Labor government in a unique position to create real change in the way we get around.

"STRA wants 50% of commutes to schools, unis, and TAFEs to be made by public and active transport by 2030 and this is a great opportunity for the government to begin taking the first steps towards achieving that goal.

"We'd like to see the government consider lowering fares to around half their current rate following the current fare-free period, in order to build resilience against future shocks to the state's transport system."

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."

The Victorian Government announced today that the Metro Tunnel would open in early December of 2025, beginning with 'The Summer Start', a period of limited operation in which the tunnel will run with 20 minute frequencies alongside existing services on the Sunbury, Cranbourne, and Pakenham lines through the City Loop.

The State Government also announced that the new tunnel would be fully operational on February 1st of 2026, in time for students commuting during first semester to utilise it.

Incorporated in 2025, the Student Transport Riders Association is a youth-run not-for-profit organisation advocating for the rights and needs of students and young people on public and active transport.

The STRA is concerned that delaying the full operation will undermine public perceptions of the project and result in reduced ridership.

"We're worried that this staged opening strategy will confuse passengers and create opportunity to delay when the Metro Tunnel becomes fully operational," said STRA President Duale Siad.

"We don't want people's first interaction with the line to discourage them from using it and put more cars on the road

"The worst case scenario would be for this project's rollout to prevent students from getting frequent and sustainable transport to and from many of the state's largest tertiary campuses from Day One next semester."

Additionally, the STRA is calling for clarification from the State Government on the operational status of the Werribee, Williamstown, and Sandringham lines.

"We're seeing conflicting information around whether the Werribee, Williamstown, and Sandringham lines are going to be connected as planned when the Metro Tunnel opens," said Siad.

"It's essential that students at Victoria University's Footscray and Werribee campuses travelling from the Eastern suburbs are able to make the same or similar journeys as they are currently able to with the Frankston line's connection to Werribee and Williamstown."

*You can contact STRA at: Email: media@stra.org.au Phone: (03) 8400 0963*

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