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As the capital city of Australia, Canberra certainly has well-operated transportation services for the public. Therefore there are some good options for public transportation in Canberra for international students that operate every day.
Common Public Transportation Options for International Students in Canberra
If you are an international student in Canberra and you want to travel around the city but do not have a vehicle, you can use these most common public transportation options in Canberra.
Light Rail
Light rail in Canberra connects the Canberra CBD area with Gungahlin up north. There are 14 light rail stations along the 12 km route on Northbourne Avenue and Barton Highway. You can use this public transportation if you want to do short-distance travel.
If you want to use light rail, you can not use cash to pay the fares. For that, you should buy the ticket first from the ticket vending machine. The ticket costs $5 for an adult single and $2.50 for a concession single.
Bus
Bus is the alternative public transportation option besides light rail because it has the same fares as light rail and has many routes including those passing universities in Canberra such as the Australian National University.
There are many types of bus services in Canberra, such as school, peak, regular, rapid, and shuttle buses. Here are the short descriptions of the services:
- School services are bus routes that are intended to complement the regular and rapid routes used by students to get to school. These routes only operate during school hours and are intended for certain schools with high rates of public transportation use.
- Peak services are intended to quickly carry passengers traveling long distances to and from the City and Parliamentary Triangle during the daily peak commuter period.
- Rapid services between town centres and other important locations are available every 15 minutes.
- Shuttle services are intended to give access to places without the need for an everyday bus route.
Local bus services are intended to transport passengers to their town centre and other local destinations, such as local businesses or schools. To assist passengers on longer journeys, at least two Rapid routes connect with each regular route.
Regular routes often operate at least every hour during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends, and every 20 to 30 minutes during peak hours.
Tips on How to Save Money on Public Transportation in Canberra as an International Student
Traveling does not have to be expensive. There are some ways to save more money when using public transportation in Canberra for international students. Here are the tips.
Use a My Way Card
The MyWay card is a type of electronic ticketing used for public transportation services in Canberra. MyWay card is considered affordable. Concession MyWay cards cost $2.50 while standard (adult) MyWay cards cost $5.00.
To get a MyWay card, you can visit a MyWay agent to purchase it. There are more than 30 locations in Canberra that issue MyWay cards for standard, tertiary, concession, and students. Or you can purchase it online by completing the standard MyWay application or student MyWay application then send it via postage.
If you have a MyWay card, you can get cheaper fares for public transportation. For example, you can get only $3.22 fares for adults if you choose to pay using a MyWay card, and for tertiary students, it only costs $1.61.
Use Free Campus Transportation
If you study at the Australian National University (ANU), you can utilize the existing free campus transportation. ANU provides a free shuttle called Campus Traveller.
The Campus Traveller picks people up at Lindsay Pryor Car Park at 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 a.m. and will offer return trips every hour starting at 2:30 p.m., with the last pick-up leaving campus at 5:30 p.m. You can take the bus for free and without an ANU parking permit in the Lindsay Pryor Car Park.
Choose Accommodation Near Your Campus
You should live near your campus if you want to save your money or use it for something else rather than for public transportation. Alternatively, you can also live in a place where your campus’ free transportation has a route for it.
Related: Australian Accommodation Tips: Only for International Students!
Travel Off-Peak Hours
For those who are eligible to get MyWay concession, they can use public transportation for free. Meanwhile, those who have MyWay adult can enjoy the price of public transportation for $2.55. Both circumstances happen only for traveling outside of the peak hours.
Public transportation in Canberra for international students can be helpful. But, always be careful if you are using public transportation. Make sure to not leave your belongings there. You should also be aware of your surroundings to avoid any unwanted circumstances.
Related: Let’s Explore! Diving into the Public Transportation in Australia