Opposition Statement: Transport Minister goes missing over go card

[ozbob]

http://www.fionasimpson.com.au/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=635

Transport Minister goes missing over go card

Friday, 8 January 2010

BLIGH Labor Transport Minister Rachel Nolan has gone into hiding this week as complaints mount over public transport fee hikes and go card failures.

Shadow Transport Minister Fiona Simpson said the Premier's staff were trying to hide Ms Nolan from public view in the vain hope the debacle would blow over.

"This is a shemozzle but where is the Transport Minister?" said Ms Simpson.

"She's nowhere to be found.

"She hasn't been fronting commuters to hear their concerns as they face hikes up to 40 per cent in their train and bus fees. 

"She hasn't been explaining face-to-face to media outlets why these changes have been handled so badly."

Ms Simpson said the elderly particularly were being discriminated against with the new system which blackmailed public transport users to use the go card instead of paper tickets. 

"While Go Card fees have risen by 20 per cent, they are much cheaper than paper tickets," she said.

"The lack of Go Card outlets is also causing real hardship. 

"One elderly constituent told me how she had to ask a friend to drive her five kilometres to find the closest go card retailer.

"As she doesn't have a computer, she will have to do the same thing again when she needs to top up the card.

"That's not a smart card system - it's a dumb card system."

[longboi]

They really should have put the go card technology into LAST year's seniors cards.

It was a great idea but like the 400,000 free cards it's too little, too late.