The Victorian government has announced two initiatives to help with the cost of living, by providing free public transport to kids and seniors through the 2025-26 state budget.
From 1 January 2026, public transport free for everyone under 18, everywhere in Victoria. From the same date, public transport will be free on weekends for Seniors Card holders statewide.
A yearly student pass currently costs $755. A family with three children using yearly student passes spends $2,265 a year. A student without a yearly pass – who buys a daily fare four times a week – spends $1,144 a year. These children will get to travel for free on a new youth myki.
The new youth myki can be used like any other myki, to tap on and travel through ticket gates at stations and when getting on a bus or tram. The card will stay valid until the child turns 18.
Children living in non-myki areas will also be eligible for free travel. The free travel will be available on all forms of public transport including trams, trains, buses and coach services in metro, regional and rural areas.
More than 650,000 seniors who use public transport will be able to catch a train, tram or bus for free on weekends – saving seniors who travel more than $360 per year.
Currently seniors enjoy free travel on weekends in any two neighbouring zones, allowing for short trips such as from Morwell to Traralgon, from Macedon to Woodend, or within metropolitan Melbourne.
But Victoria’s train network has 16 zones, so a senior from Ballarat can’t access free travel to see her grandkids in Ballan, or a grandmother from Melbourne can’t travel free to see regional galleries in Geelong or Bendigo.
This budget measure will extend free travel to seniors anywhere across the state on weekends – from Wodonga to Warrnambool and everywhere in between.
Passengers with a senior myki will need to carry their Seniors Card while travelling and use their Senior Myki to touch on and off as usual – but myki cards won’t be charged.
Cardholders will continue to be eligible for a 50 per cent discount off the full fare on weekdays.
FSenior passengers will also continue to benefit from almost 200 extra weekend V/Line services being delivered across the state since the regional fare cap was introduced.
To be eligible for a Seniors myki you must have a Victorian Seniors Card. Victorian Seniors Card holders must be permanent residents of Victoria, aged 60 or over and work less than 35 hours a week.
