Sydney public transport - public transport cost recovery

[TP]

IPART, the NSW government body that recommends fare levels for public transport, has released figures for all modes. Unfortunately, they only go up to 2023, when covid and post-covid patronage recovery were still in process, so the picture is distorted after 2019-20 and still partly distorted in 2023. Nevertheless, it's interesting for what it tells us about the relative operating costs of each mode.

https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/cm9_documents/Addendum-Maximum-Opal-fares-until-2028-Final-Report.PDF

Metro is no surprise, but what is particularly interesting is the economics of operating the trams. This is the good news that people aren't made aware of during the endless political and media moaning about the costs of building these systems. If a new service is particularly successful after it opens, the pain of building and financing it is soon forgotten.

Look particularly at metro and tram figures in the other tables, regarding operating costs per mode capacity, per passengers carried etc.

Tony P

[Mal Rowe]

On 26/02/2026 10:41, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> Metro is no surprise, but what is particularly interesting is the
> economics of operating the trams. This is the good news that people
> aren't made aware of during the endless political and media moaning
> about the costs of building these systems. If a new service is
> particularly successful after it opens, the pain of building and
> financing it is soon forgotten.
>
> Look particularly at metro and tram figures in the other tables,
> regarding operating costs per mode capacity, per passengers carried etc.
>

Thanks Tony, that is interesting data.

It is not clear to me if the "Operating cost per passenger trip" (Table
D2) is cost of service - fares collected of just straight cost.

In either case light rail is far more efficient than buses, which
surprises me a little.

A similar contrast existed in Melbourne in the (rare) case when cost of
subsidy per passenger was published several years ago.

Melbourne's buses have much lower loading than Sydney and so would be
expected to be less efficient, but it seems that may not be the case.

Mal Rowe who pays his fare

[espee8800]

And so do I but last yesterday I boarded a 57 tram at Newmarket station and alighted at Boundary Road, Of the four who boarded, only one tapped on i.e. paid his fare albeit it was a nil fare seeing that I had already exceeded the daily fare for an old fart.

On Thu, 26 Feb 2026 at 11:20, Mal Rowe <mal....@gmail.com> wrote:

Mal Rowe who pays his fare

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[Andrew Highriser]

As you say, it was a nil fare, and many who we might see not touch on, would be paying a nil fare. But I wish they would as an example to others the need to touch on, regardless of the nil fare. 

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[TP]

TfNSW has other methods of counting and modern vehicles also automatically count loads on board, so they can detect the number of non-payers vs payers and compile data-sets about them, thus:

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2025/Fare-Compliance-Survey-Results-May2025-accessible.pdf

The detailed break-down by service and service area is almost like a socio-economic study of Greater Sydney! There are definitely regions with more people who don't pay and regions where they do pay. Also, modes with high barrier security (metro, ferries) rate well for compliance, other modes not so well. Probably the worst is trams, where the temptation of ignoring the platform tap-on is obviously too much for many. (Little do they realise that the tram is counting them anyway.) On buses, the option of forcing boarders to pass the driver (mandatory in NSW) doesn't help a lot either, judging by the bus statistics. I imagine a lot of drivers nowadays don't want to wear the risk of challenging a fare evader.

On the positive side, apart from the Hunter/Central Coast, the level of compliance in Greater Sydney is quite high, typically in the 90%s. So much for the "convict state". How about other states?

Tony P

(who is pleased to see that he lives in the most honest region of outer Sydney)

[Matthew Geier]

On 26/2/26 22:00, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> On buses, the option of forcing boarders to pass the driver (mandatory
> in NSW) doesn't help a lot either, judging by the bus statistics. I
> imagine a lot of drivers nowadays don't want to wear the risk of
> challenging a fare evader.
>

It's not a matter of not wanting do - they are actively told fare
compliance is not their job. Drivers have been assaulted for challenging
people not 'tapping' and the management response was 'you escalated the
situation by challenging them'. Same with station staff - that's why
they stand there and watch gate jumpers. Challenging a fare evader is
'escalation'.

[Bob Pearce]

Not in the wild west but !!!!!

Here they'll be fined if caught.

Of course whether the fine is paid is another matter.

You must either buy a ticket or tag on with the smart rider, even on fare free
days.

And if you get on a train without a valid ticket, you will also be fined.
The Transit Officers and Revenue Officers carry infringement books at all
times.

And if an employee fails to tag on, fines are issued as well.

Oh my heavens, where will it all end..................

Bob in Perth

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[Matthew Geier]

Authorised officers do check tickets/cards and issue fines in Sydney.  But bus drivers and station gate attendants are not 'authorised officers' and are specifically NOT allowed to do fare compliance checking. They are not trained in the art of handling aggressive fare evaders.

Station gate attendants are there in a customer service role only. Pretty much their job is to open the gates for those who need help and answer questions from the public. Ticket checking is NOT one of their duties.

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[Geoffrey Hansen]

I remember back in the early 1990s the station staff would check tickets as soon as one got off the train. 

Regards

Geoffrey

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[Tony Galloway]

On about 20% of the buses I use the opal card readers are not working, or work intermittently.

If someone taps on and then can’t tap off because the card reader isn’t working and ends up being charged a higher fare, I can’t think of a greater incentive not to tap on at all.

Also if you’re poor and trying to live in a voraciously greedy and expensive city you’ll take a bet and chances are you’ll get away with it. I imagine the highest rate of fare evasion is where incomes are low and people struggle to make ends meet. And bus drivers aren’t cops, and shouldn’t be expected to police anyone. If they do, they deserve whatever comes to them for being a deadshit boss's lackey.

I have an ex-employee gold pass so I pay nothing anyway.

Tony

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[bblun...@yahoo.com]

More often than not, the readers aren't working when you board, so you get a free ride. Most people would be way in front compared to just not being able to tap off. I bet they don't complain about that or offer to pay the missed fare LOL.

A while back, I tapped on and off and noticed the fare calculated was much more than usual. When I checked my activity statement, it showed I had "boarded" at the start of the trip rather than 3/4 of the way along it. After I reported it, they duly refunded me the difference, which turned out to be more than the $2.50 I ended up paying for the day's travel. 

Brian on the L3.

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[Tony Galloway]

Well yeah, when they don’t work at all and you get a freebie that’s a bonus, but you’d remember it more if you’re ripped off by a reader failing when you tap off. Also, I suspect a lot of people assume they’ve tapped right and don’t notice that their card got the red invalid tap. I reckon you’d pay more attention than most do anyway Brian.

Another thing that needs considering and I’ve not noticed being mentioned is the effect of work from home on PT usage. A lot of my neighbours who once would’ve used PT - Lewisham has a choice of tram, bus and train - now work from home most or all of the time because they can. This would be the main reason for lower L1 numbers, although the push for higher density in the area could turn that around, depends on whether new residents need to travel to work.

Tony on the L1.

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[TP]

I did say that the compliance statistics were almost a socio-economic map of greater Sydney! The highest rates of non-fare paying are in Western Sydney, Hunter and Central Coast. Surprisingly, Illawarra South Coast has one of the highest honesty rates, even though it's not a rich area. Inner West is honest, with L1 having the highest compliance of all the tram routes, so it must be rich nowadays ;)

Tony P 

[Geoffrey Hansen]

I get the feeling that you are more likely to see Transit Officers checking tickets in less wealthy areas. I have seen them many times on trains around Blacktown and Campbeltown but I have only seen them once on the B1 bus to the northern beaches. 

Regards Geoffrey 

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