1 Feb 2014: Queensland: Tertiary Transport Concession Card concerns

[ozbob]

Media release 1st February 2014



Queensland: Tertiary Transport Concession Card concerns

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has said the recently announced Tertiary Transport Concession Card (TTCC) is overly complex and restrictive.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track is strongly supportive of all moves to address fare evasion.  Using concession ticketing on public transport when not entitled to do so is fare evasion."

"Tightening up the access to concession public transport by tertiary sector students is needed. However the present definition of what constitutes a full time student in the the context of the TTCC may actually exclude many full time students (1). Many students may be full time and not actually do a minimum 12 hours on formal campus course-work. Group work, blended learning options, study,  assignment research and preparation add on to campus hours, and are all additional to work experience, and are all things that do add to the students load."

"Universities classify students as full time if a normal semester subject load is 3 or more subjects.  This is administratively straightforward and is line with other jurisdictions (2,3). This should be the basis for the TTCC."

"For the purposes of the TTCC the students' institution should be able to verify the students' enrolment status as full time.  Any other approach is administratively overly complex, will unnecessarily penalise many full time students and further cause hardship for an already struggling demographic, particularly in SEQ with one of the worlds most expensive fare systems."

References:

1. http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/concessions/tertiary-transport-card

2. http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/content/travel-concessions-tertiary-students

3. http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TicketsandFares/SmartRider/BuyingSmartRider/TertiarySmartRiders.aspx

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10520.msg138506#msg138506

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

3 February 2014

Re: Queensland: Tertiary Transport Concession Card concerns

Greetings,

As you may know, I am a retired academic (QUT).  I spent a number of years as a course coordinator as well.  Doing that you become very familiar with the sheer struggle many students have.

My family members still participate in teaching at university.  We regularly give food eg. groceries and that to the student groups.  It all helps.

Making life even more difficult through the poorly thought out TTCC is going to seriously rebound on the authorities is my guess.

It is time that a broom was put through Transport in Queensland.  The fare fail that SEQ is being subjected too is mediocrity in the extreme.

We expect more from our elected representatives and the bureaucracy.  The TTCC as it stands is just going to cause massive hardship and even more social dislocation.   Policy blunder of the highest order!

Students who are internal full time should be given the concession.  There will always be a few who are abusing, but the vast majority are in struggle street.

The standard definition of a full time student is 3 or more subjects per semester.  This is the only way that equity will be achieved for the TTCC.

See the following links for some of the building foment and rage over this issue:

http://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/1wowur/the_new_translink_concession_card_only_available/

http://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/1wsd8o/students_angered_over_changes_to_public_transport/

http://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1wsdml/fulltime_students_in_qld_studying_less_than_12/

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-02/students-angered-over-changes-to-travel-concessions-in-seq/5233152

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/many-tertiary-students-lose-translink-discount-20140202-31v08.html

Media release 1st February 2014



Queensland: Tertiary Transport Concession Card concerns

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has said the recently announced Tertiary Transport Concession Card (TTCC) is overly complex and restrictive.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track is strongly supportive of all moves to address fare evasion.  Using concession ticketing on public transport when not entitled to do so is fare evasion."

"Tightening up the access to concession public transport by tertiary sector students is needed. However the present definition of what constitutes a full time student in the the context of the TTCC may actually exclude many full time students (1). Many students may be full time and not actually do a minimum 12 hours on formal campus course-work. Group work, blended learning options, study,  assignment research and preparation add on to campus hours, and are all additional to work experience, and are all things that do add to the students load."

"Universities classify students as full time if a normal semester subject load is 3 or more subjects.  This is administratively straightforward and is line with other jurisdictions (2,3). This should be the basis for the TTCC."

"For the purposes of the TTCC the students' institution should be able to verify the students' enrolment status as full time.  Any other approach is administratively overly complex, will unnecessarily penalise many full time students and further cause hardship for an already struggling demographic, particularly in SEQ with one of the worlds most expensive fare systems."

References:

1. http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/concessions/tertiary-transport-card

2. http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/content/travel-concessions-tertiary-students

3. http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TicketsandFares/SmartRider/BuyingSmartRider/TertiarySmartRiders.aspx

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10520.msg138615#msg138615