A NEW system will be implemented for under 18s to take public transport for free as part of the 2025/26 Victorian Budget.
Starting on January 1, 2026, hundreds of thousands of families will save up to $755 a year per child. It’s a massive investment to put money back in the pocket of families who are doing it tough.
A yearly student pass currently costs $755, but from next year children aged under 18 can travel for free. For a family with three children under 18, that’s a saving of $2265 each year.
Two years ago, it would cost kids $15.96 to travel a return trip from Ballarat to the MCG—from next year it will be free.
A return trip from Bendigo to Melbourne would cost kids $24.08—from next year it will be free.
More than one million young Victorians and their families can benefit from the new youth myki from 1 January 2026. Cards will cost $5 and will be valid until the child turns 18.
The cards 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. Children living in non-myki areas will be eligible for the same free travel.
Earlier, the Labor Government announced funding to boost capacity and deliver additional services to the Gippsland, Bendigo and Seymour lines—building on more than 2100 weekly services across the regional and metropolitan network since 2015.
Minister for Public Transport Gabrielle Williams said it will help families travel from rural areas with more freedom.
“This will save so many struggling families thousands of dollars a year,” she said.
