It has taken three years and a change of government but long-promised free wi-fi finally arrives on Perth public transport tomorrow.

The Barnett government first announced plans for free public wi-fi on trains, buses and ferries in 2015 but an initial tender failed to attract a solution that would not leave the State Government out of pocket.

Yesterday, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti confirmed Optus as the service provider for a free wi-fi trial, which comes at “no direct cost” to the State Government.

It will be available at Subiaco and Elizabeth Quay stations, and on two buses operating on the high-frequency Route 950 between Morley and the QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands.

The service will also be installed on two trains operating on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines later this year.

Areas where wi-fi is available will be clearly marked with signs and passengers will be able to use up to 150MB of data on each of their devices in 24 hours.

Camera Icon Transport Minister Rita Saffioti. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper

Enticing commuters out of cars on to public transport is key to the success of the McGowan Government’s Metronet plans and Ms Saffioti said free wi-fi would act as an incentive.

“As the McGowan Government continues to progress Metronet we are looking at other measures that could attract more people to public transport,” she said.

The results of the trial will be used to determine whether the system is rolled out more widely.

The McGowan Government is spending $34 million upgrading Transperth’s SmartRider system to accommodate expected Metronet patronage growth and advances in technology.

The investment also paves the way for commuters one day to tap on and off using their smartphones, although that capability is still in the early days of development.