Opposition Transport Statement:The fight for fairer, accessible public transport

[ozbob]

Fiona Simpson  
Member for Maroochydore
Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads

24 November 2009

The fight for fairer, accessible public transport

I?m fighting for a fairer system for people to access public transport after the Bligh government announced fare hikes for paper ticket users from January 2010 of about 40%.

For people using GoCards ? the ?smart card? option ? the fare rises are still significant at about 20%. However, as customers are finding, it?s not easy finding a GoCard seller on the Coast.
   
In fact, newsagents and convenience store owners are being forced to turn away commuters searching for elusive electronic public transport ticket.

I?ve been approached by a number of newsagents and shop keepers frustrated by the government?s decision to block them from selling Go Cards, including Lance Barrett of Coolum Village News, even though Coolum has no outlets.

On the Sunshine Coast, only two of the 17 railway stations between Caboolture and Gympie North sell gocards. This story is repeated throughout the region and is also causing confusion for travellers who come from outside SEQ. This is an issue we?ll definitely be fighting for a fairer outcome as the current GoCard system still has flaws which penalise users and there are not enough outlets for people to easily access the cards.

[dwb]

pffft. non statement here.

online. phone. mail.

how many more distribution points do you need!

[ozbob]

For many folks they do want to have local facilities.  The local newsagent around my way used to sell 10 trippers, and has a constant stream of people wanting to get go cards and top up and so forth.  They have contacted TL about it and have been given some vague assurances but no real commitments.

I get along fine online and so forth, but others don't.  TL have said that more outlets are on the way though.

[somebody]

Why's the opposition focussing on this issue so much?  While real, it's one of the least important issues in the whole system.  What about translink's management ability?

[Jon Bryant]

Every railway station should sell them.  Not to is madness.  Every newsagents should also be able to sell them.  What is the reasoning behind not allowing them to?  I know we want everybody to buy on line but until we have newer near field technologies that allow us to use the phone or bank card, etc, then why not?  

[dwb]

Ok, sorry, yes I know more distribution points are needed, what I was more cynical about was the actual press release by the opposition. As others have acknowledged here, it is one of the lower priorities and I think if they were to be a plausible opposition they'd need to be doing a hell of a better job.

Also, once people have a card, they shouldn't have to keep buying new ones time and time again, the biggest issue here is getting your first... and most people have a telephone and post box!

[ozbob]

I have noted that the LNP have raised this issue constantly since the initial days of the go card. No doubt the small business lobby does raise it with them as would some of their constituents.  When Mr Nicholls was the LNP Transport Spokesperson he too raised it a bit as well I recall.

[dwb]

Can a small business person not go and buy 10 unregistered cards and put $10 on them and sell them for $15 or whatever?

[ozbob]

Not legally anyway, need to be a properly authorised agent under the contract I would expect.

Hence the constant churn about this.

[Fares_Fair]

pffft. non statement here.

online. phone. mail.

how many more distribution points do you need!

In a pluralistic society we try to cater for all members of it.

I think the point here is sure you can do that online, phone or by mail if you are prepared to wait for the mail or a courier delivery, but the vast majority of our aging population aren't necessarily computer savvy like us, and furthermore trips aren't necessarily planned days in advance. Indeed the quickest way to purchase is from a retail outlet.

Using the same logic we could get rid of all retail outlets altogether
and live inside a room with a computer for company.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

PS The points Ms Simpson MP raised are very real and worth pursuing.