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

NEWS RELEASE: Proposed Bus Fare Increases Outrageous

posted Saturday 30 August 2008

A transport consumer group has described as outrageous and absurd the Government's proposed bus fare increases for 2009. Allan Miles, spokesman for Action for Public Transport, said that proposed increases of up to eighteen percent (18%) in TravelPass prices would turn people away from public transport, the exact opposite of the government's policy. Mr Miles was commenting on the submission from the Ministry of Transport to the review of bus fares being made by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART).

"The Ministry admits that that the public finds the TravelPass tickets popular and convenient," Mr Miles said, "but that counts for nothing with the Treasury bean-counters." "They wish to impose oppressive cost recovery principles on the fare system, and make people pay for the precise distance travelled", he said. "The Ministry claims that TravelPasses are inequitable because private bus passengers don't have them," Mr Miles said, "so the Ministry's response is to eradicate TravelPasses rather than extend them to all bus users." "Other Australian cities have managed to put zone fare systems onto smart cards," Mr Miles said, "but in Sydney they insist on running a tape measure between bus stops."

"Increases sought for weekly TravelPass tickets are way out of line with public expectations, and with common sense," Mr Miles said.

"The Government wants the price of a Blue TravelPass (inner suburbs bus and ferry) to go from $32 to $38 - a rise of $6, or 18%," Mr Miles said, "and the price of a Red TravelPass (inner suburbs bus, ferry and train) to rise $4 to $39." He said this would create the absurdity where for one extra dollar a week ($38 to $39) a person can add train rides to Ashfield, Chatswood and Bondi Junction on top of all the buses and ferries in the zone.

Mr Miles said that the Government continues to bleat about "deep discounts" on TravelPass tickets, but their calculations of the discounts are based on false assumptions. "For example", he said, "they say that the discount on the Pittwater TravelPass is 52%, based on the "likely usage" of ten Manly Ferry trips during the week." "This is highly unlikely," he said, "as most Pittwater bus users catch express buses to the city and never go near Manly Wharf."

"There are similar absurd assumptions in other so-called discount calculations," he said. "The worry is", he said, "not the amount of any discount, but why the Government should feel the need to calculate one at all." "The price of a TravelPass is the price of a TravelPass," he said. "It is not related to the price of anything else."

"Increases in single bus fares of between 10 cents and 30 cents have been sought," Mr Miles said, "and proportionate increases in TravelTen tickets." He said there was no plan to reduce the existing 20% discount on TravelTens.

Mr Miles said there is some good news for bus travellers.

"The price of the TwayTen tickets used on the Liverpool to Parramatta Tway will fall," he said, " to bring their discount to the standard 20% given on other ten-trip products."

He said there will also be a discount of 20% on the new weekly ticket to be issued by private bus companies. "This will bring some equity to private bus users," he said, "and should also provide them with a much faster as well as cheaper trip."

Mr Miles said that public comments on the Ministry's proposals can be made to IPART until Friday 3rd October 2008. "We urge everybody to study the proposals," Mr Miles said, "and make your comments known." The Ministry's submission can be seen here.

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906

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