NEWS RELEASE: Stock Up on TravelTens
<center><h3>TRAVEL CHEAP WITH TRAVELTENS</h3></center>

Regular users of State Transit buses should buy themselves a Christmas 
present and stock up on TravelTen tickets now before the price goes up in 
early January, according to the consumer group, Action for Public Transport.

A spokesman for APT, Allan Miles, said that while no price increase has yet 
been announced, there is certain to be one. "The Minister has proposed 
increases of between 7 and 14 percent for the various STA TravelTen 
tickets," Mr Miles said, "but consumers have lobbied for smaller increases."

Mr Miles said that a final decision was expected soon from the Independent 
Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

"TravelTen tickets give discounts of 20 to 30 percent off the price of most 
single bus fares," Mr Miles said. "They can be bought at the current price 
now and used at any time in the future." He said that they also save 
everybody's time when you get on the bus.

Mr Miles said he does not expect the current high levels of discount to 
continue, but hoped for a level of around 20 percent, the same as applies to 
the equivalent tickets in Brisbane.

The current single fare for 1-2 sections is $1.60 and the equivalent Blue 
TravelTen costs $11.60. A TravelTen holder therefore pays only $1.16 per 
trip, a saving of 44 cents or 26 percent on the single fare. Mr Miles said 
that it has already been determined that the single fare for this distance 
will remain the same in 2005 but the TravelTen price is sure to increase.

"It is always cheaper and more convenient to buy a TravelTen," Mr Miles 
said, "but a user who stocks up before January will save even more."

Mr Miles said that similar savings apply to the 3-5 section tickets, where 
the single fare ($2.70) will not increase from January but the price of the 
Brown TravelTen ($19.70) will rise, although by what amount is not yet 
known.

"For the longer distance journeys, single fares as well as TravelTens will 
increase in 2005," Mr Miles said, "as part of the process of standardising 
bus fares throughout Sydney."

Mr Miles said that the increase proposed by the government for the Red 
TravelTen (6 to 9 sections) was a whopping 14 percent, from $24.50 to 
$27.90. While he did not expect the final increase to be so large, Mr Miles 
said that regular users could still give themselves a Christmas present and 
stock up before 1st January.

"Buy a six-pack of TravelTens now," Mr Miles said, "and enjoy your Christmas 
present well into the New Year."

<b>Contact</b>: Allan Miles 9516-1906