Transport Tuesday on Vic election campaign

Transport was on the minds of Victoria's major parties as the election campaign rolled on for another day.

Flanked by TAFE students and fellow Labor MPs, Premier Daniel Andrews said if re-elected his government would scrap vehicle registration fees for eligible apprentices, including bricklayers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers.

Apprentices who need their car for work purposes are already entitled to a 50 per cent discount on their registration in Victoria.

But Labor wants to fully waive the annual fee, worth up to $865 a year, at a cost of $9.7 million.

"It's a practical way in which we can make sure that there's hundreds and hundreds of dollars in their pocket," Mr Andrews said at The Gordon's East Geelong TAFE campus on Tuesday.

It follows the Victorian coalition's pledge after the May state budget to cut individual and company building registration fees for tradies.

Under Labor's Tuesday announcement, an apprenticeships taskforce would be set up to consider regulatory arrangements, simplify complaint reporting and create a system preventing misbehaving employers from hiring apprentices.

The McKell Institute, which recently uncovered widespread workplace bullying of apprentices, said the proposed taskforce would help attract young people back to trades.

A parliamentary inquiry would also be launched to crack down on bosses and contractors who refuse to pay sub-contractors for completed works.

It could recommend changes to the law for companies caught in breach or making it harder for them to tender for major government projects, including building and upgrading schools or hospitals.

"This is a form of wage theft," Mr Andrews said.

"It's a small number of people but it's deeply frustrating for those who have worked hard and brought their skills to bear."

Transportation was the overarching theme of the day, with the coalition pledging to kickstart a new freeway bypass around Shepparton if elected on November 26.

It has committed $260 million to fund stage one of the project, but more federal funding would be needed to complete it. 

The bypass would create a second crossing over the Goulburn River by connecting the Midland Highway in Mooroopna to streets north of Shepparton's city centre.

The only crossing between the two towns was inundated for days during last month's floods, which Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said proves the community needs another route across the river.

Alongside Liberal leader Matthew Guy, Mr Walsh visited Shepparton to reveal 50,000 of the coalition's promised 150,000 extra lots of land over the next two years would be in the regions.

The Murray Plains MP said it took five years to have land subdivided in his hometown of Echuca.

"It shouldn't take five years to get it done," he added.

Meanwhile, the Greens are pushing for a major shake-up to Victoria's public transport fares.

Travel would be free for anyone under 21, $1 a day for concession-card holders, and capped at $3 a day for other adults as part of a "Climate Ticket", independently costed at $774.7m over four years.

The coalition has previously pledged to cap all fares across the metropolitan network at $2 a day, while Labor is vowing to bring fares across regional areas into line with Melbourne prices.