Ministerial Statement Queensland Parliament - Go cards

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/hansard/documents/2010.pdf/2010_10_07_DAILY.pdf

Ministerial Statement Go Cards

Go Cards

Hon. RG NOLAN (Ipswich—ALP) (Minister for Transport) (10.15 am): The Queensland
government's 'go ready' education campaign continues to go from strength to strength. TransLink has
issued 1.3 million go cards since the system was rolled out in 2008 and they are now used on more than
60 per cent of trips across South-East Queensland. TransLink is continuing to work closely with
customers to assist them to make the transition to go card. After the successful 'go ready' information
sessions for seniors, TransLink has now extended the program to include people with disabilities and
people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The 'go ready' information sessions
explain how the go card system works, how to top up the balance on a go card, how to touch on and
touch off correctly and how to transfer between services using a go card.

I hosted a 'go ready' session at the Ipswich Civic Centre along with the member for Ipswich West
earlier this year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank members who have organised 'go
ready' sessions for their constituents. This year alone, TransLink has hosted or booked more than 420
sessions and distributed almost 19,000 go cards through this program. These sessions are important to
ensuring that all commuters are comfortable with using a go card and are able to enjoy the safety and
convenience of a go card.

Disability groups who have already received go card information sessions include the Endeavour
Foundation, the Leukaemia Foundation, the Sunshine Welfare and Remedial Association, the Red
Cross and the Redlands Hearing Impaired Support Group. TransLink has also presented sessions to
Indian seniors, Chinese seniors, HAND—the leisure and learning for adults with disabilities
organisation—and the Western Suburbs State Special School. I encourage all members and disability
and cultural community groups to contact TransLink if they would like a representative to visit and
provide information about go card. Go cards make it easier to use public transport for all groups in our
society and TransLink's 'go ready' sessions help ensure that everyone is comfortable with Australia's
leading smart card ticketing system.