You might have noticed a new kind of bus gliding through Perth’s streets, quiet, clean, and fully electric. Transperth’s electric buses are now rolling beyond the CBD and into the suburbs, bringing quieter cabins, smoother rides and easier boarding for seniors.
A Public Transport Authority (PTA) spokesperson said the move follows “a successful trial of four electric buses on the Joondalup CAT route in 2022 and the introduction of 18 electric buses on the Perth CAT routes last year,” adding that “Transperth has started rolling out electric buses across Perth suburban areas for the first time.”
The Malaga depot is the first suburban hub for the new vehicles, with 11 electric buses ready for service and a multi-million-dollar upgrade underway to build Western Australia’s largest charging complex.
“Not only are electric buses cleaner and better for the environment, but they also provide a smoother, quieter and more comfortable ride for passengers, without the vibrations, noise and pollution typically generated by diesel engines,” the PTA spokesperson said.
The shift is long-term. Over the next two decades, depots across the network are being upgraded to support a full phase-out of diesel buses.
Making the numbers tangible
A range of 300 kilometres on a charge comfortably covers a full urban service day and then some, think two return runs between Perth and Mandurah with mileage to spare. Emissions savings add up quickly. One bus reduces emissions by about 40 tonnes of CO2 a year, roughly equivalent to the annual exhaust of ten typical Australian cars.
The infrastructure is growing: Malaga’s upgrade is in use; Karrinyup and Claisebrook are next; and a new Bayswater e-bus depot comes online mid-2026 as part of a 20 year program to retire diesel fleet-wide.
Comfort and access, built in
For older riders, the upgrades are practical as well as green, all buses on the network are accessible and can deploy ramps to the kerb for wheelchairs, walkers and mobility devices; there are dedicated spaces on board and priority seats close to the front door.
Transperth’s buses kneel to the kerb, have low-floor entry, extendable boarding ramps and wide aisles, with priority seating near the front. If you’d like the bus to kneel or the ramp deployed, tell the driver as the bus approaches, these features are standard and used every day.
Community consultations for the WA Seniors Strategy consistently highlighted accessible transport as central to staying connected and reducing isolation. That is exactly the kind of day-to-day benefit quieter, easier-to-board buses can deliver.
How and when seniors travel free
If you hold a WA Seniors Card, it doubles as a Seniors SmartRider on the reverse side. Tag on when you board and tag off when you alight so your free-travel entitlement is applied correctly. Free off-peak travel applies from before 6am, between 9am to 3.30pm on weekdays, after 7pm, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. At other times, concession fares apply. The PTA stresses the importance of tagging on and off, so the free fare registers for every journey.
There’s also Every Sunday Free for all SmartRider holders: travel is free from first to last service across buses, trains and ferries. You still need to tag on and off, and late-night services after midnight on Saturday aren’t included.
If you’re travelling with little ones, children under four always ride for free. Kids aged five to 15 travel on a discounted Child fare. Under-16s ride free on weekends, public holidays and school holidays when they use a SmartRider.
What it costs in peak times
Outside the free windows, Seniors and Pensioner SmartRider fares remain low. The current cash concession fares are $1.10 for a two-section short hop, $1.60 for one zone and $2.40 for two zones. With Autoload activated (a 20 per cent SmartRider discount), those come down to $0.88, $1.28 and $1.92 respectively. Time limits are generous, two hours for up to four zones, three hours for five to nine zones. Thanks to the two-zone fare cap, you never pay more than a two-zone fare anywhere on the network, even if your journey crosses multiple zones.
Getting and keeping your Seniors SmartRider
Your Seniors SmartRider is issued with the WA Seniors Card. You can apply via Australia Post or through the Seniors Card website, and if your registered card is lost or stolen, Transperth can hotlist it and transfer any remaining balance to your replacement once you call the InfoLine. For help at any point, including planning a first electric-bus ride, call the Transperth InfoLine on 13 62 13.
What’s next
Electric services are already on the road out of Malaga, and the program will expand step by step from here. The goal is straightforward: make public transport easier to board, calmer to ride and cheaper to use. For seniors, that means more quiet buses arriving in more suburbs, and more free off-peak trips to the shops, appointments and grandkids, especially in the upcoming school holidays.
