Krisis BBM, dua negara bagian Australia gratiskan transportasi di Victoria dan Tasmania untuk ringankan biaya hidup jutaan warga.
Millions of Australians will ride public transport for free but the fuel relief measure won’t be rolled out nationwide.
Dua negara bagian di Australia, Victoria dan Tasmania, mengumumkan kebijakan gratiskan transportasi untuk sementara waktu guna membantu warga menghadapi lonjakan harga bahan bakar yang dipicu perang Iran dan gangguan pasokan minyak dunia.
Victoria and Tasmania on Sunday unveiled a temporary fare reprieve as motorists continue to face price pain at the petrol pump. Uncertainty and crimped oil supplies due to the Iran war have driven up costs and led to fuel shortages at hundreds of service stations.
In response, the Victorian government will make public transport free for a month from Tuesday to encourage people to ditch their cars and offset rising fuel costs. The move is expected to cost Victoria $71 million (NZ$85.4 million) in lost revenue.
Kebijakan ini diharapkan mendorong jutaan warga beralih dari kendaraan pribadi ke moda publik, sekaligus mengurangi tekanan permintaan BBM di tengah kekurangan pasokan di ratusan SPBU.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said a regular daily user could save up to $220 (NZ$264.77) over the course of April.
Ia mengakui langkah itu tidak akan menuntaskan persoalan biaya hidup, tetapi dinilai bisa memberi ruang napas bagi rumah tangga yang pengeluarannya membengkak gara-gara harga BBM dan kebutuhan sehari-hari naik.
“People are looking to their governments to do more,” she told reporters on Sunday.
“We should, and we need to.”
Public transport patronage will be monitored to gauge if extra services are needed to cope with the forecast influx of passengers.
Pemerintah Victoria akan memantau lonjakan penumpang, termasuk kemungkinan penambahan layanan kereta, trem, dan bus bila kapasitas yang ada tidak lagi mencukupi selama periode tiket gratis berlangsung.
In Tasmania, travel on buses and ferries will be free from Monday until July 1.
Di Tasmania, kebijakan gratiskan transportasi berlaku lebih lama: perjalanan dengan bus dan feri digratiskan sejak Senin hingga 1 Juli, sehingga warga berpenghasilan rendah dan pekerja komuter bisa menikmati penghematan signifikan selama beberapa bulan ke depan.
An adult catching the bus from Dodges Ferry into Hobart for work each day would save $88 (NZ$105.91) a week, Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said.
“Families are feeling the pinch, and this important cost-of-living measure will deliver real savings,” she said.
Vincent menambahkan, penghematan mingguan ini bisa menjadi penopang penting bagi keluarga yang anggarannya tertekan oleh kenaikan harga energi dan kebutuhan pokok.
Other states have been reluctant to follow suit.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham said the state government would not introduce short-term free travel.
“This situation will last more than a month,” he said.
“We need to keep our powder dry to be able to assist the broader economy.”
Sejumlah negara bagian lain memilih menahan diri, beralasan tekanan krisis BBM dan perang Iran kemungkinan berlangsung lebih lama sehingga ruang fiskal harus dijaga untuk kebijakan jangka panjang.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes said it was “beyond belief” the Minns government had not acted to provide free, or at least reduced, public transport fares.
“Queensland’s transport fares are essentially free year-round, Victoria and Tasmania are now giving free fares, but the people of NSW are missing out,” he said.
AAP has been told the Queensland Liberal National government has no plans to change its current policy of 50 cent (NZ$0.60) fares.
WA Premier Roger Cook was non-committal on following Victoria and Tasmania, instead talking up “historically low” existing fares.
The ACT’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted against a motion from the Canberra Liberals to introduce 50 cent (NZ$0.60) public transport fares.
Dengan kebijakan berbeda antarnegara bagian, Australia kini menjadi contoh bagaimana respons terhadap krisis BBM dan perang Iran bisa beragam: dari gratiskan transportasi di Victoria dan Tasmania, tarif sangat murah di Queensland, hingga penolakan pemotongan tarif di New South Wales dan ACT.
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