Free public transport, early knock-offs for ‘Fab Friday’ could bring Melbourne’s buzz back

The last time Reid got his hair cut at his favourite barber in Melbourne was a year ago, just before the coronavirus pandemic completely transformed the city.

As he returned to have his hair trimmed on Tuesday morning, he reflected on how different the city felt months after harsh lockdowns were introduced to see off substantial outbreaks.

“I came back a couple of days before the most recent outbreak but then I went back to working from home,”…