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

A spokesman for Action for Public Transport, Allan Miles, said that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is due to give its determination on next year's fares later this month.

"Passengers who use prepaid single or TravelTen bus tickets can purchase stock at the current price now," Mr Miles said, "and use them later when the fares increase". He said that similarly, undated MyMulti tickets can be bought now and used later. Mr Miles said that people who ordered longer term rail or MyMulti tickets before the announcement of any rise can get the full period's travel at today's price. "Discounted pre-paid tickets always save time and money," Mr Miles said, "and at this time of year additional savings can be made." "Bus and train fares have not increased for two years", Mr Miles said, "and it is unlikely that the new government, not facing an election, would keep the fares pegged again."

Mr Miles said that IPART had drawn a four-year pricing path for train fares for 2009-2012 and a similar path for bus fares for 2010-2013. "This allowed for a small annual increase in line with any CPI increase," he said.

Mr Miles said that these plans were thrown into disarray, firstly when the Keneally government introduced the MyZone tickets in April 2010, and then when fares were frozen in January 2011, just before the election. "Fares on Sydney Ferries have not increased since January 2007," Mr Miles said, "while the government reviewed their operations." He said that this delay, and the planned franchising to private enterprise makes it difficult to forecast the size of any increase. "Despite uncertainties regarding the amounts," Mr Miles said, "it is difficult to imagine an unfettered government ignoring an already approved opportunity to increase the fares on buses, trains and ferries".

Mr Miles said that IPART does not regulate the daily Pensioner Excursion Ticket (PET), and the price of $2.50 is unlikely to change at this time.

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906