Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (17:29): (1635) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is that the state government offer subsidies or rebates for people to buy or rent an e-bike, as well as other measures that would promote commuting by bike during this period of fuel insecurity. Right now anything we can do that leads people to reduce the use of cars will save fuel for the people and the industries that really need it.

That is why it has made sense for the government to take up the Greens’ suggestion to make public transport free. Train station car parks are already filling earlier in the morning, as more people are driving to the station. Outer suburban stations are more sparse than those closer to the city, and they generate their own road traffic. E-bikes offer an alternative to commuters needing to travel 5 or 10 kilometres to a station or directly to work. E-bikes put more destinations within range for people who ride, not just athletes, and they make riding a more realistic option for those currently deterred from riding by hills, wind or the need to change their clothes when they get there. Subsidy schemes for e-bikes have operated successfully in Tasmania and Queensland and could also include non-electric bikes.

There are other measures the government should consider to promote cycling as a mode of transport during this fuel crisis, including fast-tracking the introduction of 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limits in residential streets and high-activity areas to make it safer for people to walk and ride and adding bike racks to buses on regional bus routes and pop-up bike lanes that separate riders from car traffic. Separated bike lanes make riding safer and attract travellers who are deterred by fear of close encounters with cars. Monash University research revealed that over 60 per cent of women would ride more often if they felt safer, and they particularly pointed to a lack of separated bike lanes. Pop-up lanes can be installed along strategic routes, and those that connect people with public transport should be prioritised. Infrastructure Victoria’s recent report showed that separated bike lanes are a good long-term investment, and there is no better time to start than when we desperately need them.

So much can be done to attract people to public transport, including making it free, improving it or offering it in the many suburbs without it, but we should also think about how people get to stations or bus stops that are a bit too far away to walk. A lot of fuel is used for very short trips, and we have an alternative. I urge the minister for active transport to make active transport more attractive for those who can use it during this fuel crisis.