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

Allan Miles, spokesman for Action for Public Transport, said that the Ministry of Transport wants increases of around five percent for single fares and TravelTens, but up to eighteen percent for some TravelPasses.

"The TravelPass increases are way out of order," Mr Miles said. "They are based on spurious usage assumptions which produce illusory high discounts. The Ministry want to slash these supposed discounts by making excessive price hikes."

Mr Miles said that the Ministry had submitted its wish list to the review of bus fares being conducted by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART). Any new fares will begin in January 2009.

"The public has until 3rd October to comment on these proposals or to put alternative views," Mr Miles said.

Mr Miles said that the Blue TravelPass is set to go up from $32 to $38, and the Pittwater TravelPass from $55 to $61. "Proposed increases in other TravelPasses range from 10 to 15 percent," he said. "These are far too high."

"The government and the Ministry are totally focussed on costs," Mr Miles said, "and believe that public transport users should be charged for every metre of their journey."

"The external benefits of public transport are given low value by the government accountants," he said.

"In other cities around Australia," he said, "enlightened administrations have a zoned fare system, where your ticket gives you unlimited use of train, tram, bus or ferry travel within your zone."

Mr Miles said that in Sydney, the government should be trying to encourage and expand the use of multi-mode zone tickets like TravelPass and BusPlus, instead of trying to kill them off.

"Your public transport ticket should give you the convenience of your motor car or your telephone plan," he said.

Information about making a submission can be found on the IPART web site: http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/

Contact:	Allan Miles	9516-1906
	Kevin Eadie	9819-6052