The public transport Hobart consisted of buses, taxis and water taxis. The state-owned Metro is responsible for organizing the buses in Hobart and also operates in Launceston and Burnie. However, the buses do not run very often and transport is quite limited, especially outside of regular business hours or on weekends. As a general point of contact for information and timetables, the Metro Shop at the Bus Mall, which can be found on the ground floor at 22 Elizabeth Street, is available to users. Another shop is in the Moonah district at 212 Main Road (across from bus stop A).
General information
In order to be able to use the buses of the Tasmania Metro , you have the choice between a conventional paper ticket or a green card. Paper tickets can be bought directly from the driver. The green card is available online, in one of the Metro shops or from an official dealer. It basically works like a rechargeable prepaid card. When getting on and off the bus, you stop at one of the designated stations so that the cheapest tariff is automatically deducted from the credit (single trip, day ticket, etc.). In addition, you save 20% of the regular fare when you use the Metro Greencard. Children, schoolchildren, students and other groups of people can also take advantage of further discounts by showing a corresponding document. The tariff areas are made up of the ‘urban fares’ with 2 zones for inner-city and the ‘non-urban fares’ with a further 4 zones for the extra-urban area. A single trip entitles you to use the buses for a total of 90 minutes from the time you stepped on.
Overview of public transport
Train
Suburban trains operated between Hobart and Brighton (about 16 miles north of the city center) until 1974, but they were replaced by the buses of the Tasmania Metro. However, they are currently thinking about creating new train routes.
Bus
The state bus service of the company Metro Tasmania is actually the only means of public transport in Hobart. In addition to school buses, users have various connections to the northern, eastern, western and southern boroughs. The large Hobart Bus Mall on Elizabeth Street is the main public transport stop. Other main bus stations are on Bligh Street in Rosny Park by the Eastlands Center and on Tolosa Street in Glenrochy. To get close to the top of Mount Wellington, the private Mt Wellington Explorer Bus, which departs daily from downtown, is recommended.
Tram
Similar to the railways, the trams were abolished in the 1970s. However, there is currently a narrow-gauge train line between Hobart and Bridgewater, which is currently used for freight transport. However, one is considering re-establishing a tram network.
Taxi
The private taxis operate independently of Hobart’s public transport. The best known companies include United Taxis (133 222), 131008 Hobart (131 008) and 13 Cabs (13 2227). There are also some exquisite limousine and chauffeur service providers in the city.
Ferries & water taxis
There are a few tourist boat and ferry services that can be used to explore the natural harbor, the Derwent River or Bruny Island, for example. There is also a ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), which is 11 kilometers north of Hobart.
Bicycle
An environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to public transport in Hobart is cycling. Within the not-too-large urban area, several cycle paths have been developed that are rarely used and relatively flat. At this point, the approximately 15.6 km long Intercity Cycleway should be mentioned, which runs from the Regatta Grounds in the CBD in the north to Claremont. The paved bike route winds partly along the banks of the Derwent River. In addition, you can get to various Hobart attractions like Government House, Tasman Bridge, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and Cornelian Bay. The Queens Domain and the districts of New Town, Moonah, Glenorchy and Claremont are on the way. Other bike paths connect the city to Mount Wellington and other places on the Derwent River.
Automobile
Most residents of the Tasmanian capital use a car instead of public transport to get around. Within the urbanized area, Davey Street (A6), Macquarie Street (A6), Goodwood Road (B35), Sandy Bay Road (B68) and Algona Road are some of the most heavily traveled streets. The three major thoroughfares Southern Outlet (leads south), Tasman Highway (leads east) and Brooker Avenue (leads north / Glenrochy) connect not only the city center with the individual suburbs, but also with the rest of Tasmania.
