Arabic version: الرحلات القصيرة في النقل العام بأديلايد هي الأعلى كلفة

According to ABC News, Adelaide Metro fares are among Australia’s most expensive, with short journeys costing more than comparable trips elsewhere. ABC News analysis found Adelaide commuters pay the nation’s second-highest single fares, behind Sydney, while Adelaide has the highest prices for short trips.

Adelaide Metro applies a network-wide fare through a single tap of a metroCARD or payment card. In Sydney, bus and tram trips under 8 kilometres and train trips under 10 kilometres are charged at lower rates than Adelaide’s standard fares. Adelaide’s delayed annual fare rise took effect on October 1, with prices growing roughly 3.3 per cent in line with CPI. Some fares rose above CPI, including regular and concession metroCARD single trips, regular 14-day MetroCards, and 14- and 28-day concession MetroCards.

The South Australian government said it had introduced three cost-of-living measures this year, including lower-cost 28-day student passes and an expanded Seniors Card. A spokesperson said the government had also paused annual MetroCARD fare increases for three months. Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said fare revenue supported system security and upgrades to buses, trains and trams, and that the government had no plans for additional subsidies.

Ann-Maree Anderson, who rents in Mount Barker and uses public transport to reach employment opportunities, education, culture and health appointments, said she could not afford to run a car. Transport strategist Elliot Fishman said lower fares had produced differing results in Queensland and Melbourne, and said service quality remained important. The RAA has proposed a $36 12-trip Adelaide Metro fare, digitised MetroCards, smart ticketing options and an extension of the MetroCard boundary to Murray Bridge.