Article: Charities get ticket to ride bus their way

[ozbob]

From the Canberra Times click here!

Charities get ticket to ride bus their way

Charities get ticket to ride bus their way
BY GRAHAM DOWNIE
09 Jun, 2011 07:03 AM

ACTION buses will reintroduce books of single-ride, paper-based tickets to be issued by charities to people in need.

Since the tickets were discontinued after the introduction of the smartcard MyWay ticketing system in April, paper tickets have been sold only on buses to people paying cash fares. This meant charities could not provide people with bus tickets.

Most, if not all, charities do not provide cash for such purposes.

UnitingCare Kippax emergency relief manager Brian Pearce said an important part of its services had always been to provide people with $2 concession bus tickets.

Mr Pearce said community organisations could not afford to pay $20 for a smartcard.

After UnitingCare Kippax raised its concerns with the media early this week, ACTION agreed that books of single-ride tickets would be sold to community organisations from June 10.

Organisations wanting these tickets should call the MyWay administration office on 62077711.

A Department of Territory and Municipal Services spokesman said yesterday that when the MyWay system had been introduced, the department had advised it would review operations after a month.

The MyWay team was working closely with the Department of Housing and Community Services and community organisations to provide a better option.

MyWay staff had met representatives of community organisations this week and had worked together to reach a solution.

The ticket books would be sold, as with the previous system, at Faresaver 10 prices $12.60 for concession and $25.50 for adult.

The spokesman said that on average there were 60,000 weekday smartcard MyWay transactions, of which 40 per cent were by full-fare adult passengers.

The other 60 per cent was made up of students and concession fares.

There was also an average of 8500 cash transactions on weekdays.

[colinw]

Hmmm... interesting and unintended side effect of introducing a smart card system.

[Golliwog]

I suppose the charities could have their own go cards which they top up and give to those in need. IIRC the Sunshine Coast uni thats doing the trial of the student/go card combo (I think thats what it is, its some form of trial with the go card and the uni gives students like $70 or something in credit on the go card. They had something about the card that stopped students from being able to get it then take it to a go card retailer and getting the credit off it to go spend on a night at the pub, or if your a good uni student, text books. Something similar could be done for charities surely?

[SurfRail]

How is handing out $20 smartcards any different to handing out 10 $2 tickets? 

[ButFli]

How is handing out $20 smartcards any different to handing out 10 $2 tickets? 

They can hand 10 $2 tickets to 10 different people. A $20 smart card can only be given to one person.

[SurfRail]

How is handing out $20 smartcards any different to handing out 10 $2 tickets? 

They can hand 10 $2 tickets to 10 different people. A $20 smart card can only be given to one person.

I don't see how handing out a single bus ticket to anybody helps them if they are in distress or in need of assistance.  You would need to distribute them in bulk anyway.

[#Metro]

I agree. Why can't they just load up a MyWay? No paper required!

Second thing-- and I have seen this-- I have seen personally bus drivers discriminate/refuse to pick up homeless/welfare people who present the free transport ticket or whatnot. IMHO you should use things that flag the person as being on charity because some people have a reaction to that.

[ozbob]

Clearly there is a need for them (the tickets).  Charities often need to give out single journey tickets and the like, they obviously needed a way of doing it in the new environment and an arrangement was set up.  I know the QCOSS has broad concerns with ticketing as well.