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Buses in regional Queensland

4 min read · As of 26 October 2026

Outside South East Queensland, TransLink runs urban bus networks in towns from Warwick to Cairns, and they all charge the same 50 cents.

As of 26 October 2026. Fares and free-travel rules in 2026 have been changing quickly. Treat every dollar figure and date here as a guide, and check the official page linked at the bottom before you rely on it.

Which towns

The 50 cent flat fare applies to all TransLink network regional bus services in: Bowen, Bundaberg, Cairns, the Fraser Coast (including on demand), Gladstone, Gympie, Innisfail, Kilcoy, Mackay, Rockhampton and Yeppoon, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Toowoomba (including on demand), Townsville, Warwick and the Whitsundays. North Stradbroke Island also has its own TransLink page. South East Queensland itself (Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast) is a separate fare network: see our Brisbane guide.

The fare

Regional fares are 50 cents however far you go. On the Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba pages, TransLink lists three paper ticket options: a single at 50c that includes two hours of transfer time, a daily ticket at $1.00 (unlimited travel until the last service that day) and a weekly ticket at $5.00 (seven days from issue). Check your own town’s page for its options. The 50% concession fare doesn’t apply while 50c is on, and children aged 4 and under travel free.

How to pay

On regional urban buses you can pay on board in cash, and in many towns by credit or debit card too. If you use cash, have the correct fare or small change ready. In Toowoomba, the local bus operator Bus Queensland also sells a reloadable smart card. Each town has a local delivery partner (for example Kinetic in Cairns and Townsville), who can answer ticketing questions.

Kilcoy and the Hinterland

Kilcoy and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland aren’t part of the South East Queensland fare network, so you need separate tickets if you’re travelling between them and SEQ.

In GoSEQ

GoSEQ is testing timetables for Cairns, Innisfail, Townsville and Magnetic Island, Bowen, the Whitsundays, Mackay, Rockhampton and Yeppoon, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough, Gympie, Maleny, Kilcoy, North Stradbroke Island, Toowoomba and Warwick. Live bus times are available in Cairns only; the other towns show scheduled times. Fares in GoSEQ are estimates, not tickets.

Sources

Checked 26 October 2026. Rules and prices change: the official page is always right.

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