Greens pitch free public transport to NSW voters

"The trains are overcrowded, the buses are slow and the ferries are too expensive," Greens transport spokeswoman Abigail Boyd said.

"Under the Greens' plan, public transport would be fast, affordable, accessible and reliable."

Fares currently cover about 25 per cent of operating costs while taxpayers pick up the rest, plus the cost of policing and prosecuting fare evasion.

The Greens pointed to Luxembourg, which scrapped public transport fees in 2020, and some cities in Belgium, France and Estonia that had made public transport free years ago.

Germany plans to heavily cut the price of public transport after a successful three-month trial that reduced air pollution.

"Free public transport is not only achievable, it is essential for well-functioning communities and economical," Ms Boyd said.

The policy proposal includes allowing pets on board on all buses, trains and ferries and fast-tracking accessibility upgrades.

The party is also proposing the winding back of privatisation deals and creating more unionised jobs by supporting electric bus manufacturing.

"It's not enough to say no more privatisation, we need to be actively working to reverse this privatisation and making a clear commitment to not renew a single contract," Ms Boyd said.

An inquiry last year by the NSW upper house transport committee, chaired by Ms Boyd, found privatising bus routes had been a disaster.

The government rejected a recommendation to tear up contracts with private operators, saying the operators were working beyond a "one-size-fits-all model of service delivery" and offered services like high-capacity routes in some places, and on-demand routes in others.