School-aged children using opal cards will receive free access to public transport under a future Labor government, the new Opposition Leader announced today.
Michael Daley spruiked his first major policy since being elected to leadership in the wake of sexual harassment allegations levelled against former leader Luke Foley, who resigned on Thursday.
The new policy will give students free travel on trains, buses and ferries all year round and is designed to help alleviate cost-of-living pressures.
"This is a really simple and practical measure to make life easier for families and it's a simple one," Mr Daley said.
"Free public transport for all school children on the Opal network, no matter where you live or travel."
The Labor leader said the free-access scheme falls within a commuter framework focusing on public transport.
"It fits into Labor's designs really well, where public transport and not toll roads will be the most important way to get Sydneysiders around as the city expands," Mr Daley said.
While the government would lose an estimated $44 million in revenue each year, Mr Daley said he did not consider it wasteful as Labor would not implement Liberal plans to peg stamp duties to inflation rates.
"We're foregoing $44 million a year in revenue, that's the cost," he said.
"But last week, Dominic Perrottet announced $180 million in foregone revenue from stamp duty, which we're not doing."
Opposition transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay said the plan would initially be rolled out across the Opal network before reaching across the whole state.
The Child Youth and Student Opal cards would be changed to remove the need for a minimum distance requirement between home and school to be eligible for free and discounted travel and would include weekends and school holidays.
"We will design a new Opal card. This will allow us also to collect data so we know who is using this," Ms McKay said.
"But if you're at school, then you will receive free public transport across NSW.
"We want to encourage a different culture. If we can start with young people then that's a real positive."
If the new Daley-led Labor is successful in next March's state election the new plan would be implemented by mid-2019.
