The first week of paid tram travel saw almost 30,000 fewer boardings than the weekly average during the first month of free services.
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Transport Canberra points to the Reconciliation Day public holiday impacting figures in the first week of full fares, and the "three coldest days of the year".
In the first week of paid services between May 27 and June 2, there were 77,668 boardings across the week excluding the public holiday Monday, compared to the average of 106,279 boardings in a week in the free trial.
Figures show an average of 14,876 boardings on the light rail a day in the first paid week, after a month-long free trial.
However, it represents a drop of almost 2500 passengers, from the average of 17,297 boardings in the four-week free period.
Despite the drop, a spokesman for Transport Canberra said more data was needed to determine trends on the light rail network and it was too early to determine if passengers were declining.
"Historically, we see reduced patronage across the network due to poor weather and holidays," the spokesman said.
"The week of May 27 to June 2, we experienced three of the coldest days of the year and Monday was a public holiday."
More services had been added to the light rail network during the four-week free period due to increased passenger demand.
One extra service was added to the morning peak while three more were added to the afternoon peak.
The Transport Canberra spokesman said the number of services running since the introduction of paid fares had not changed.
"Service and capacity levels are continually monitored and any increase to service levels will be made as the need is identified," the spokesman said.
Overall, Transport Canberra says boardings had been better than anticipated, already topping numbers expected in two years time.
"Transport Canberra is very pleased light rail is so popular. We're already hitting our 2021 business case passenger numbers."
While passenger numbers on the light rail may have been down in first week, Transport Canberra has said there was an increase in people using public transport in Canberra across the whole network compared with the same time last year.
Overall, more people are using buses and trams put together than used the buses this time last year.
Passenger journeys have increased 9 per cent this year compared with the same point in 2018, while boardings are up 13 per cent.
"Journeys across the entire new network are up 12 per cent," the spokesman said.
"Transport Canberra expects that patronage will continue to increase week on week from previous years."