Take your car, motorbike or pushie for free!
In a bid to attract more tourists to Tasmania, which suffered a drop of 85% in bookings because of the pandemic, the Federal Government is waiving the cost of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. In other words, travellers on the Spirit of Tasmania will be able to take along their car, motorbike or pushbike for free. (Featured image: Steven Penton)
The Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme exists to make the cost of travelling across Bass Strait similar to driving the same distance on the national highway network, which doesn’t quite reach Tasmania. To further incentivise mainlanders to travel across to the apple isle, the on-average $240 saving would be discounted to those travelling with a campervan or caravan.
Senator Duniam has said of the scheme, “visitors who travel to Tasmania by sea are among the most valuable to the industry, they spend more, stay longer and travel further into our regional areas.
“In fact, these travellers account for 12 per cent of all visitors to Tasmania yet they contribute a massive 20 per cent of all annual visitor spending.”
The subsidy for travelling on the Spirit of Tasmania came into effect on 14 January and will be for travel between 1 March 2021 and 30 June 2021.
The expansion, however, has been capped at $6m with an estimated 25,000 return fares up for grabs. Multiple cars may be added to each booking, with a maximum of fourteen, so long as there is one eligible passenger per vehicle.
Tasmanians wanting to travel to the mainland will also receive the discount to passenger vehicles.
Visit the Spirit of Tasmania website for more details.