Commuters travelling daily from Campbelltown to Central stand to pay $557 more a year if the state government adopts recommendations contained in a draft Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) report on Opal fares.
And if another recommendation to increase pensioner fares is adopted it will break a promise made at the last election in March 2015, says the Member for Campbelltown, Greg Warren.
The local MP has this week gone public to express his “considerable concern’’ over the IPART recommendations on fares.
He says that if adopted they would “leave long-distance commuters high and dry.
“The proposed increases in this report hit hardest those who have the least ability to pay,’’ Mr Warren said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The changes outlined in the report, such as increasing the weekday cap from $15 to $18 per day will have a significant effect on lower income earners”, he said.[/social_quote]
Mr Warren says such excessive increases fly in the face of the government’s commitment to increase public transport use.
“Such hefty price increases will no doubt lessen the incentive for commuters to replace cars for buses, ferries and trains.
“This is a deeply hypocritical report. Its regressive fare increases are completely at odds with the government’s objective to increase public transport use,” Mr Warren said.
The IPART report also calls for pensioner tickets to increase from $2.50 to $3.60 and Mr Warren is not happy about that either.
“If the Baird Government implements this recommendation, it will be breaking yet another one of its key public transport promises,’’ he said.
“Before the election the premier committed to leaving the Pensioner Excursion Ticket price at $2.50 after the January 1 Gold Opal card rollout, yet now he is showing little interest in upholding his commitment.”
Mr Warren says he invites and encourages all residents to have their say on the draft report by lodging a submission on the IPART website, or writing to the IPART chair, Dr Peter Boxall.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“People from all over the Campbelltown region have contacted me expressing their disappointment at this report’s unfair recommendations,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“While I will continue to fight these unfair changes in the parliament, now is the opportunity for locals to stand up and have their say to protect public transport by lodging a submission.”
For more information on the proposed increases and to make a submission, visit the IPART website.
