Victorian public transport commuters will be slugged with a second myki fare hike in six months, in a fresh cost-of-living blow.
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From January the maximum daily full fare on weekdays will rise by 60 cents for adults to $10.60, representing a six per cent increase.
It means someone commuting on public transport five days a week will spend an extra $156 a year.
The full fare for concession card-holders will increase from $5 to $5.30.
Weekend daily and public holiday rates will remain unchanged at $7.20 for full fare travellers and $3.60 for concessions.
There will be no increase in fares for shorter zone-two trips in outer Melbourne, while regional fares below the daily cap will rise by 20 cents.
Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the fare hikes were "modest" and in line with Consumer Price Index changes.
"(It will) ensure we are covering the costs of delivering the services that Victorians tell us that they need and that we know that they deserve," she told reporters on Friday.
"It's a really important part of us being able to continue to invest."
But the Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest estimate put annual inflation at 5.4 per cent over the 12 months to the end of September.
Victorians were hit with a daily public transport fare rise on July 1, increasing from $9.20 to $10 after the annual change was delayed by six months.
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said while the latest rise was not unexpected, it was unwelcome.
"This rise means the base zone one and two fare will have risen 20 per cent in five years, so it all adds up," he said.
"In Queensland they waived the fare rise this year to provide cost-of-living relief.
"It's a shame Victoria hasn't also paused fare rises, but the other thing they can do to provide household budget relief is boost services, particularly in the suburbs, so more people have the option of leaving the car at home more often."
Opposition public transport spokesman Matthew Guy called for the government to pause the increase, saying the last thing Victorians need right now is to pay more to use public transport.
"This six per cent increase in Myki fares will hit all Victorians at a time when they can least afford," he said.
Public transport will be free across all metro and regional trains, trams and buses in Victoria on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
Australian Associated Press
