Perth transport costs among nation's highest

Perth’s public transport users are slugged more per year than commuters in any other Australian capital except for Sydney, but Perth is the cheapest city to insure two family cars, according to new data.

The average Perth household pays $55.30 a week, or $2,876 a year, on public transport, according to the Australian Automobile Association’s latest Transport Affordability Index.

Royal Automobile Club of WA general manager corporate affairs Will Golsby said total transport costs including registration and licensing, insurance, servicing, car loan repayments, fuel and public transport, cost the average Perth household $16,652 a year.

“Perth also ranks as the third most expensive capital city for car registration and licensing costs, which have been increasing year on year,” he said.

“Registration has increased every year, from $255.32 in 2013-14 to $334.51 in 2016-17, not including Compulsory Third Party or the additional $99 Catastrophic Injury Support Scheme insurance.’’

Mr Golsby said RAC called for registration, compulsory third party insurance and licence fees to be capped at or below the rate of inflation during the recent state election.

“We don’t want to see WA motorists hit with further increases in motoring costs in this year’s state budget,” he said.

While Perth commuters using public transport are among the hardest hit in the nation, Mr Golsby also said the Transport Affordability Index showed Perth was the cheapest capital city, by a long way, to insure two family cars.

“The average Perth family saves almost $880 a year when compared to the same family in Melbourne, where the cost of insurance is double,” he said.

The Index is based on the incomes and transport costs of a hypothetical household in each capital city that consists of a couple with children and two cars, the average household identified by the 2016 Census.