Fed: Seniors want countrywide travel concession cards

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2006
Fed: Seniors want countrywide travel concession cards

CANBERRA, Dec 27 AAP - Older Australians want Treasurer Peter Costello to include funding
for a countrywide Seniors Card in next year's budget to allow travel between states at
concessional rates.

The request has been put forward by National Seniors Association in its 2007 federal
budget submission. The Association is the country's largest organisation for people aged
50 and over with 280,000 members, and fourth largest in the world.

Currently, government Seniors Card holders travelling outside their home state are
required to pay full fare on public transport.

National Seniors chief executive, Michael O'Neill, said existing arrangements were
absurd and even a disincentive to interstate travel.

"Once seniors cross their state borders they're no longer entitled to the transport
concessions they enjoy at home. As a result, they choose to either remain in their home
states or travel overseas where their Seniors Cards are recognised."

Mr O'Neill said a recent trip to Sydney was spoilt for a couple of his Perth members
when, on a rail trip to the Blue Mountains, their NSW-based friends were charged only
$2.50 each, while the Western Australians had to pay $35.

"Were all Australians, so when we get that sort of feedback, it just doesn't seem fair,"

said Mr O'Neill.

In 2002, the federal government did allocate $25.5 million towards reciprocal travel
concessions for state Seniors Card holders, only to withdraw the funding offer in 2005.

Mr O'Neill believes this was because the commonwealth and state governments had been
unable to agree on how a national scheme would operate.

"Both federal and state governments know it's a ridiculous arrangement, and it's something
that's been tossed around for years. In 2007 were asking the federal government to provide
leadership on the issue and put it back on the policy agenda."

"A national government Seniors Card, or at least reciprocal travel concessions, would
remove a major disincentive to interstate travel amongst the grey nomads and bolster the
domestic tourism dollar."

AAP cb/imc/de

KEYWORD: BUDGET SENIORS

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