Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

NEWS RELEASE: Travelten Discounts Still Denied to Private Bus Users

posted Friday 29 December 2006

Bus fare increases from 2nd January will hit users in Sydney's west more than other areas because they still do not have discounted TravelTen tickets, according to the consumer group, Action for Public Transport. A spokesman for APT, Allan Miles, said that passengers on State Transit buses can get discounts of 20 percent from normal fares by using TravelTen tickets. "They save time as well as money", Mr Miles said, "but many private buses in Sydney's west and south-west do not have any weekly or multi-ride tickets and passengers must pay full fare each trip."

Mr Miles said that on an average single fare of, say, $4.00, they are missing out on a discount of 80 cents, which for 10 trips a week amounts to $8.00 and for 48 weeks comes to $384 a year. "This is a hefty price to pay for government inaction or incompetence", he said.

Mr Miles said that very few private bus areas have any discounted multi-ride tickets, and there are restrictions on the few weekly tickets available. "No operator has a true TravelTen ticket", he said.

"Both the Parry Report into transport funding (issued 9th Dec 2003) and the Unsworth Report into buses (issued 17th March 2004) recommended 'fare harmonisation' throughout all buses in Sydney, including single fares and TravelTens", Mr Miles said, "but this has so far only been extended to single ride tickets". He said the government has been waiting for T-card before extending TravelTens, but on current indications, it could be a long wait. Mr Miles said it is not equitable that private bus users should miss out on this discount because of the continued failure of the Tcard system.

The fare determination by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for fares from 2nd January 2007 says (Section 5.2, page 20): "The Tribunal notes that, according to the Ministry of Transport, TravelTen (and most other multi-ride) ticket products are only available in the contract regions served by Sydney Buses; they are not available on private bus services. The Ministry has informed the Tribunal that no private buses will be obliged to offer a multi-ride ticket product until the commencement of T-card. This was expected to be introduced in early 2007, but has now been delayed until mid 2007. At the public hearing, representatives of private bus operators indicated that they wish to provide multi-ride ticket options but do not currently have the technological capability to do so. The Tribunal recognises that the impending introduction of T-card undermines incentives for private operators (or the Ministry) to invest in technology that could handle TravelTen tickets."

Mr Miles said that it is apparent from these statements that the private bus system is being run for the benefit of the operators and the Ministry, with the passengers coming a poor third.

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906

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