Go Cards: lack of off-peak fare structure

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Vonnie Allison
5 Ghostgum Close
Taigum Qld 4018
Total Signatures - 229
Sponsoring Member: Vicky Darling MP
Posting Date: 23/4/2008
Closing Date: 30/9/2008
Tabled Date: 7/10/2008
Responded By: Hon Rachel Nolan MP on 5/6/2009
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
Queensland Residents draws to the attention of the House : that the new Go Card penalises many part-time/casual workers in that there is no off-peak fare structure. While the current Go Card offers discounts for frequent users, the lack of any off-peak fares penalises casual/part-time workers who travel off-peak and thereby costs casual/part-time workers more to travel to work, should they use the Go Card, which is yet an added financial burden for low-income families. Also, the lack of off-peak fares on the Go Card removes incentive to travel off-peak, which will inevitably contribute to further overcrowding of already stretched peak-time services. Casual/part-time workers are mostly excluded, due to the casual/part-time nature of their work, from being eligible for the frequent user scheme, even though they are freeing up peak seats and aisle space for frequent peak-time users. Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to: undertake to introduce off-peak fares for the Go Card, as a matter of urgency, in order to stop penalising many part-time/casual workers who utilise off-peak services; and to undertake to keep the current paper-based ticketing system, with off-peak fare structure, until such time as the Go card system stops charging casual off-peak users at peak rates.