As Bendigo residents celebrated the new year, the cost of a single trip on the city’s V/Line service rose above $30 for full-fare paying adults.

But new age limits, to be introduced on January 30, will mean children and teens will travel for less.

Most public transport fares increased by an average of 3.9 per cent on January 1. 

Full-fare Bendigo travellers using the pay-as-you-go myki Money option are now being charged $31.20 for a single trip during peak hours, up $1.20 on the price in 2016.

The cost is $21.84 outside of peak hours, up from $21.00.

The price for concession card holders rose by 60 cents during peak hours, from $15.00 in 2016. 

The off-peak cost is $10.92, 42 cents more than in 2016.

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Travellers using the myki Pass payment option could pay up to $169 more to use the Bendigo service.

Users tailor their passes to the zones in which they wish to travel and the number of consecutive days of travel they need.

A full-fare, seven day myki Pass will cost $6 more for Bendigo travellers this year than it did in 2016, increasing to $156.20. 

Concession card holders will pay $3 more, up from $75.10 in 2016.

A full-fare 28-69 day myki pass will cost 70 cents more, bringing the price for the Bendigo service to $18.42 per day.

The price per day is 35 cents more for concession card holders with the same pass, up from $8.86.

Full-fare travellers using the 70 - 325 day myki Pass will pay an extra 52 cents, bringing the price to $13.44 per day.

The concession cost is $6.42, up 26 cents. 

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“It might seem like just a couple of dollars here or there, but these increases add up across a household budget,” Victorian Council of Social Service chief executive officer Emma King said.

“The last thing struggling Victorians need is another whack to the hip pocket.”

Her comments concerned price hikes to a number of essentials and basic services, including energy, water, postage, council rates and public transport.

“A record 726,900 Victorians now live below the poverty line,” Ms King said.

“Many people are living week to week, or going without.”

She called on service providers to justify every dollar increase.

“The adjustment will keep fares in line with Consumer Price Index and contribute to the ongoing operation of our trains, trams and buses,” the Public Transport Victoria website stated.

A PTV spokesperson said Bendigo would receive 10 extra weekly services as part of a new V/Line timetable, effective January 29.

Children under the age of five will travel for free from January 30, up from three years of age in 2016.

Young people aged 17 and 18 years will become eligible for child myki cards on the same date, meaning they no longer need to carry a concession card to travel on a reduced fare. 

The age limit for an automatic concession fare was formerly 16. 

Young people will need to produce government-issued proof of their age, such as a learner driver’s permit. 

Nearly 40 per cent of more than 1100 Australian household decision makers surveyed about new year’s resolutions wanted to save money to ease financial strain. 

Other motivations included saving for holidays, paying off a mortgage or buying a house. 

The Galaxy Research study was commissioned by iSelect. 

“If people are struggling to pay their bills they should talk to service providers directly about hardship policies or payment plans,” Ms King said.

“Service providers need genuine, compassionate and flexible hardship policies for people who are doing it tough.”

For more about the 2017 public transport annual fare adjustment, see the PTV website.