Go Card Pensioner Fare Slug

[mufreight]

Pensioners be warned,the Go card is a blatant rip off for Pensioners who currently use the Daily concession ticket, see the following example of the increase in cost.  The same percentage of increase in cost would also apply if the journey was undertaken by a full fare paying rider using the Go Card compared with the current Daily return ticket for a multiple stage trip.
Our Pensioner makes his Journey from NBth Ipswich to Inala to see the Doctor, then having Seen the Doctor Journeys on to PA Hospital.  Having attended to his Business there he then continuse into South Bank to attend his Solicitor and having completed his business there he then travels back to Ipswich where he does grocery shopping and finaly catches the bus home to Nth Ipswich.

The breakdown of his days journey and fares charged on Go Card is as follows.

Journey 1
Nth Ipswich to Inala, zones 7 to 5 comprising
Bus    Nth Ipswich to Ipswich Rail  Zone 7 to 7
Train  Ipswich Rail to Wacol Rail     Zone 7 to 5
Bus    Wacol Rail to Inala              Zone 5 to 5
Three zones traveled charged as single fare $ 1.60

Journey 2 commenced after a break of about 1 1/2 hours
Bus    Inala to PA Hospital             Zone 5 to 2
Four zones travelled charged as single fare $ 1.80

Journey 3 commenced after a further break in excess of one hour
Bus     PA Hospital to South Bank    Zone 2 to 1
Two zones travelled charged as single fare $ 1.40

Journey 4 commenced after a break in excess of one hour
Train   South Bank Rail to Ipswich Rail  Zone 1 to 7
Seven zones travelled charged as single fare $2.50

Journey 5 commenced after a break exceeding one hour
Bus      Ipswich Rail to Nth Ipswich    Zone 7 to 7
one zone travelled charged as single fare $ 1.20

Total cost using Go Card $ 8.50 as compared to $5.00 using the current Daily concession ticket.
A fare increase of $3.50 or 70% an obvious disincentive for all users of public transport especialy pensioners not to use Go Card.
It would seem that this is the intention of both Government and Translink to increase their revenue base with a deniable though actual fare increase imposed on those who can least afford it.

Write to your local Member and ask him to explain how this has come to be and for him/her to justify it.

You are invited to post the responses that you get for all to share.

I am.

[ozbob]

Thanks mufreight.  Another real example of the costs of Go Card travel compared to present integrated paper ticketing.