Status-conscious Canberra will have an opportunity to catch up with Queanbeyan in at least one respect under a plan by the Greens to trial free internet services on buses.
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In their first election commitment for the October ACT poll, the Greens have committed to a $100,000 trial of free Wi-Fi internet on selected bus routes.
Queanbeyan-based Deane's buses already has a Wi-Fi system on its services, as do Manly and Brisbane Ferries and some bus services in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.
Under the Greens plan, bus interchanges would also become free Wi-Fi ''hotspots'', except for the Belconnen interchange, which already has free internet supplied by the Westfield Shopping Centre.
Greens leader Meredith Hunter said Wi-Fi hubs would be created in Civic and could be expanded to other town centres.
She said it was hoped the initiative would encourage more people to use public transport.
''We're a tech savvy city and we think that this is a great way to encourage more people to get on to buses and also to enhance the experience for people who already use our buses,'' she said.
''You can check your emails before you get to work or you can connect with friends. For people waiting at the bus interchange it can help to while away those moments in between waiting for buses or transferring.''
Ms Hunter said a full rollout of Wi-Fi could involve sponsorship from private sector companies.
She said the Greens had already delivered more frequent bus services and was committed to improving public transport.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said Labor was also interested in trialling Wi-Fi on buses.
''The ACT Labor government has been actively exploring options for trialling Wi-Fi on both ACTION buses and at group centres across the city,'' Ms Gallagher said.
''We'll announce our full policy in due course, which will have realistic costings aimed at delivering Wi-Fi in a way that will benefit Canberrans into the future, without placing too heavy a burden on the budget bottom line.''
The Greens' trial would use the ACT government's filtering protocol to prevent ''inappropriate use'' of the network. Connections would be managed by time or download limits to ensure responsible usage.
''Costs could be minimised by using whole-of-government telecommunications arrangements,'' the Greens policy document stated.
Without additional government funding or commercial sponsorship a full-scale Wi-Fi rollout would place a severe strain on ACTION'S budget.
The Canberra Times revealed earlier this month the cost of operating ACTION buses had increased by almost 40 per cent over the past five years, but revenue from fares was less than the peak two years ago.
Revenue from fares peaked in 2009-10 at $21.248 million. This was 19.3 per cent of that year's operating costs.
