Article: Senior struggle

[ozbob]

From the South West News 24th February 2010 page 3

Senior struggle

Senior struggle
By CHRISTOPHER O'LEARY

A SOUTHWEST MP has said many elderly residents were "frightened" to use the State Government's new go card ticket system. State Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller has asked TransLink to run training sessions for older people in her electorate who are struggling to adapt to the system.

She said since November, up to 40 residents from Goodna, Redbank and Dinmore over the age of 80 had contacted her office saying they struggled to use their go cards at rail stations.

TransLink conducted a training session with the National Seniors Australia Goodna/Redbank branch earlier this month, but Mrs Miller said there were still residents outside organised groups who were confused about how and where to use their cards.

"They come into the station and remember to touch their cards on but then forget to touch off, and then they get concerns," she said. "If we have older people stuck at home thinking they can't get out we want to stop the fact they might go into a situation where they're isolated or becoming depressed."

RAIL Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow called for the State Government and TransLink to take further action as there were too many "horror stories". "One poor old lady just last week came on board to tell me she had lost a sizeable sum of money on her go card and was just too frightened to use it now," he said. She was nearly in tears at the thought of no longer being able to buy paper tickets in the future."

[longboi]

I agree TransLink should conduct regular training for the elderly in ticketing just like QRP conducts training for kids/migrants about rail safety. However if these senior citizens are choosing not to participate in training because they are too scared, then that become their own personal problem, not TransLink's.

[ozbob]

What is needed is  training sessions at the local stations.  Could be advertised in the local newspapers, this will get the locals to the station to have a go!   

They have been going to retirement homes and the like but many citizens in the suburbs by themselves.  I have held a few informal 'classes' myself at the station with seniors.  In general, once they are shown how to use the system and the AVVMs they adopt well.