A transport union has labelled the Greens election proposal for a free public transport service every 10 minutes across Queensland a fantasy.
The Greens would expand the public transport network to have buses arrive every 10 minutes in the southeast and 25 regional areas, including Townsville, Cairns and Toowoomba.
The rail network would also be boosted to have trains arriving every 15 minutes, or faster in the southeast.
"What we can't afford to see is countless Queenslanders not able to make the most of 50-cent fares because the services in their area are so poor," Greens MP Michael Berkman told reporters on Tuesday.
The Greens also committed to keeping the 50-cent fare scheme which both Labor and the Liberal-National Party have promised will stay if either are elected in October.
Queensland Greens have two MPs in state parliament.
The party wants to make public transport free by 2026, costing $390 million in foregone revenue a year.
"Public transport is a public service. It should be free," Mr Berkman said.
Premier Steven Miles said having a notional fare allows Translink to better gauge demand for services.
"It gives the operators some control over people coming and going from the network, and it also allows us to collate and collect data so that we can ensure services are responsive," he said.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union Queensland said 50-cent fares had revolutionised public transport usage in the state.
In just over a month southeast Queensland usage rates for buses had risen by 16 per cent, ferries by 43 per cent and trains by 22 per cent, compared to 2023.
In the regions, Mackay recorded 30 per cent more people using public transport, in the Whitsundays it was up by 21 per cent and in Bundaberg it was up by 11 per cent.
"Customer complaints have gone right down, the number of incidents have gone down, customer satisfaction is through the roof," Secretary Peter Allen told AAP.
"So these are all really good things that sit on top of these record increases in patronage."
But Mr Allen said the Greens proposal for more frequent public transport across Queensland was an expensive pipe dream.
"It sounds great, but it's a fantasy," he said.
"There just isn't the infrastructure to support that."
Mr Allen said it would be fantastic if services could be ramped up quickly but it takes years and significant investment, far more than the Greens' $14.7 billion proposal.
"It's just outside the bounds of what's available," he said.
As for free fares, Mr Allen said without the data of people tapping on and off, it would be impossible to gauge where the demand was and what services were required.
Studies overseas had shown free public transport increased the disrespect of the services with people "trashing" trains and buses, he said.
