Fare evasion on public transport across NSW is being blamed on the cost-of-living crisis.
Despite the surge of public transport usage, fare evasion has become an issue with survey results from Transport NSW showing trends of fluctuating non-compliance rates.
Concerns have been raised after the NSW Government announced they will not introduce free public transport services amid the ongoing fuel crisis, despite Victoria and Tasmania offering the free services.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham told the media that the government would not go down the path of free public transport.
“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.”
Mr Graham said that in order to provide more public transport as demanded, free transport was not an option.
“How can we make sure there are enough services (for) people have that option of a cheap train fare, compared to the expensive car ride? That’s what we’re balancing here,” Mr Graham said.
According to a NSW Transport survey in 2025, between January and June, $35,203 was lost due to fare evasion on NSW trains, $30,715 lost on NSW buses, $1,765 lost on NSW ferries, $6,451 lost on NSW light rail services, and $4,675 lost on the Sydney metro system, totalling more than $78,000.
This loss was almost $9,000 more than 2024’s revenue loss for the same period, and an additional $12,000 more than 2023.
Since 2021, the non-compliance rates across NSW lines has increased across four of the five major methods of transport with the highest jump being Intercity Trainlink, with a 6.8% increase, and the lowest being Sydney Ferries at a 1.2% decrease.
University of Wollongong student Sinead Rogers said the primary reason fare evasion is so common is due to the cost of living crisis.
“The cost of living crisis leaves there to be no money for travelling, especially when we’re already paying for that public transport through tax every year,” Ms Rogers said.
