A P T N S W logo

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

NEWS RELEASE: Rail Fare Rises - Commuters Can Fight Back

posted Saturday 4 October 2008
Regular rail users angry about the proposed fare hikes can fight back, says a transport consumer group.

"They can do three things," said Allan Miles, secretary of Action for Public Transport. He said, "they can send a submission to the Review, buy a yearly ticket, and write to their nervous local member, but they have to be quick about it".

Mr Miles said that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is still considering a set of proposed fare rises. "The public has until 5th November to respond," he said. "Details of the fare rises and advice on sending a submission are on the IPART web site http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/."

Mr Miles suggested that regular users might consider buying a yearly ticket. "Even without the fare rise," he said, "a yearly ticket costs about 41 times the price of a weekly, and you only have to queue up once." He said that if you order a weekly ticket now, you get a full year's travel at today's prices, and so save even more.

"For example," he said, "the current Blacktown to City weekly costs $41 and a yearly costs $1,684. If you buy a yearly ticket now you get unlimited travel for the next year for $32 a week ($1,684 divided by 52). That beats the proposed new price of $48 a week," he said.

Mr Miles said that TravelPass tickets, which include bus and ferry travel, are also on the hit list for fare rises. "These can also be ordered now at the current price for the next twelve months," he said.

"This only applies while the fare rises are still proposals," Mr Miles stressed. "Once the new fares are approved and announced you pay the full price."

"Your local member of parliament might also be nervous about the fall-out from heavy fare rises," Mr Miles said, "so a note to him or her might be worthwhile."

Mr Miles said that people making submissions to IPART should curb their anger, and try to address the specific points that the Tribunal must consider.

These include the cost of providing the services, the protection of consumers from abuses of monopoly power, the need for greater efficiency in the supply of services, the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development, the social impact of the determination, and the standards of quality, reliability and safety of the services.

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1096
Kevin Eadie: 9819-6052




Action for Public Transport home page

Twitter Facebook webcounter