Queensland Public Transport Fines Surpass $4.5 Million Amid 50-Cent Fares
Queensland has levied over $4.5 million in fare evasion fines since the introduction of 50-cent public transport fares on August 5, 2024, up to March 4 of the current year. During this period, 14,141 penalty infringement notices were issued.
The total value of these fines reached $4.66 million, from which authorities recovered a mere $7,050.50 in revenue that would have been collected through paid fares.
Fines by Transport Mode and Warnings Issued
Most fines were issued on trains, accounting for approximately 7,500 notices, followed by trams with 3,714 penalties, and buses with 2,839 infringement notices.
Additionally, 75,744 warnings for fare evasion were distributed, representing an estimated $37,872 in unrecovered revenue if those commuters had paid the 50-cent fare. The penalty for fare evasion is currently set at $333.
Increased Inspections Lead to Reduced Fines
While the total number of fines on the state's public transport network has decreased since the 50-cent fares began, enforcement, particularly inspections, has increased significantly.
In 2023, 890,019 inspections were conducted. By 2025, this number rose to over 1.16 million inspections of go cards and smart ticketing.
Correspondingly, fines decreased from 13,486 in 2023 to 8,614 in 2025, and warnings dropped from 60,930 to 45,117 during the same period.
Government Aims for Greater Compliance and Data Collection
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg stated that the increase in inspections and reduction in fines suggests greater compliance among Queenslanders.
The government emphasizes that commuters tapping on and off provides valuable data for Transport and Main Roads, informing decisions on service and infrastructure investment.
Better Transport Queensland president Rowan Gray supported this, noting that reliable data is dependent on consistent tap-on/tap-off practices and that enforcement incentivizes this behavior.
50-Cent Fares Made Permanent, Costing $300 Million Annually
The 50-cent fares, initially a trial under the former Labor government, have been made permanent by the LNP government.
These reduced fares cost the government approximately $300 million annually in lost revenue.