A push to expand Melbourne’s free tram zone from the CBD to the inner suburbs and the MCG has revived debate about whether it should be scrapped entirely, as paying commuters get crowded out.
But calls for a bigger free zone are butting up against long-held concerns the scheme has made rush-hour trams and platforms overcrowded, and degraded service for paying customers who need to travel more than a few city blocks. “We often see paying tram passengers unable to board because the trams are crowded,” says transport users’ advocate Daniel Bowen.Infrastructure Victoria has also called for the free zone to go, citing the effect of overcrowding on passengers who are elderly, disabled or pushing prams.
A state parliament inquiry in 2019 heard that the number of tram trips taken within the CBD almost doubled when the free zone was introduced, growing from 18.5 million trips a year to 35.5 million.