ITS Monday: Edition 12, 2026

Is free public transport enough to convert motorists? Research says there are more important factors

This from the ABC News website. “Temporary free public transport initiatives in Victoria and Tasmania were introduced at the start of April to ease cost-of-living pressures, amid soaring fuel prices.

New research has found public transport fares have not been a decisive factor in pushing people to shift from car to public transport. Experts say better public transport access, coverage, reliability, and travel time have a greater impact than price in changing long-term commuting habits.”

Related iMOVE project:

• Implications of large-scale price reductions in public transport fares

2026 Transport Opinion Survey

“The Transport Opinion Survey (TOPS) run by the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies measures the public’s opinion on transport-related issues. Commencing in 2010, the Transport Opinion Survey (TOPS) is the only regular national survey that tracks changes in the public’s views around public transport.”

EV charging showdown as duelling rule-changes proposed

“Over the Easter weekend, some of the oil-free smugness of EV-owning Australians disappeared as they faced queues at public charging stations. Most early-adopter EV owners have home charging and might only use public charging a handful of times a year, but those occasions are likely to include the Easter and Christmas breaks, when most other EV chargers want to use them too.”

Related iMOVE article:

• Electric Vehicles: Info, Projects & Resources
• The Conductor Series: The electrification of transport

Related iMOVE projects:

• An afterlife ecosystem for electric vehicle batteries
• Leading the charge in bi-directional charging
• Utrecht to Australia: Unlocking scalable, low-cost V2G
• Being a V2G trailblazer: Lessons for mass market adoption

The Evolution of Transportation

Professor David Levinson‘s appearance on The Peggy Smedley Show. They “… talk about how transportation is evolving as cities grow and technologies accelerate. He says 30 years ago, there was an assumption technology wouldn’t change, but there have been technology shifts.””

Related iMOVE article:

• The Future of Mobility

Understanding public perceptions of shared e-scooters: An investigation from rider and non-rider perspectives

A new academic paper, co-authored by Yuting Zhang, Camila Balbontin, John Nelson, Corinne Mulley, and Jennifer Kent.. The abstract:

The rapid growth of e-scooter sharing schemes has sparked both enthusiasm and controversy, prompting cities to develop new regulations to address safety, accessibility, and public space management. The attitudes and behaviours of both riders and non-riders can determine the success or otherwise of shared e-scooter services, rendering public perceptions of these schemes a key source of information for policymakers and practitioners.

Using data from an online survey of riders (N = 401) and three non-rider focus groups (N = 24) across three trial locations, this paper examines public perceptions of shared e-scooters from the perspective of both riders and non-riders. The analysis explores the themes of awareness of shared e-scooters, perceived benefits of shared e-scooter use and perceived barriers of use.

We then focus solely on riders and explore rider satisfaction (including latent class modelling), motivations for use and future intentions to use shared e-scooters. Findings reveal clear distinctions in perceptions between riders and non-riders of shared e-scooters. Riders generally have a positive view of the shared e-scooter trial and are likely to continue their use. Disparities in gender, age, and income among riders highlight the need for inclusive design of shared schemes.

The perception among non-riders is shaped by both their level of awareness of the scheme and their indirect experiences with the vehicles, with concerns related to levels of awareness of the trial scheme, uncertainty about riding rules, safety issues, and difficulty distinguishing between shared and privately owned e-scooters.

Related iMOVE articles:

• Active Transport: Info, Projects &; Resources
• Micromobility: Info, Projects &; Resources

Related iMOVE projects:

• Optimising multimodal transport networks: Sharing road space
• Safer cycling infrastructure: Design and policy
• Behavioural change for sustainable transport

NSW announces historic $1.9B renewable energy power contract for PT network

“New South Wales will save $130 million on its public transport network power bill after signing a new $1.9 billion renewable energy contract over seven years.

The state government says money saved from the new contract with Snowy Energy, the retail brand of Snowy Hydro, will be directly invested back into frontline public transport services across the state, offering a timely boost as surging petrol prices drive more people to public transport.”

Related iMOVE articles:

• Alternative Fuelst: Info, Projects & Resources
• The Conductor Series: The electrification of transport

Related iMOVE projects:

• FACTS: A Framework for an Australian Clean Transport Strategy
• Zero emissions heavy vehicles: Analysis, planning and policy

DECARBONISATION: From measurement to action

“The first two parts of this series established two things. First, that mandatory climate related financial disclosures are bringing logistics emissions under a level of scrutiny the sector hasn’t previously experienced. Second, that the most common methodology used to estimate those emissions — spend-based proxies — can produce results that diverge from operational reality by as much as 70 per cent.

The natural follow up question is: what does good measurement actually look like? Not in theory, but in the practical reality of Australian supply chains where data is fragmented, carriers are numerous and no two freight networks are structured the same way.

The answer is less complicated than the industry assumes — and the results are more consequential than most expect.”