Cheaper intrastate travel for all Health Care Card holders

03/07/2008

A total of 76,000 Health Care Card holders across Western Australia will now be able to travel on Transwa services on a 50 per cent concession fare.

From August 1, changes to concession fare eligibility will align Transwa fares with Transperth cost structures.

Announcing the changes in Kalgoorlie-Boulder today, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the new fare parameters would provide a better deal for pensioners and encourage greater use of the regional transport system.

“Reduced fares for Health Care Card holders are currently only available to Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance recipients,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“The new fare structure will be of particular benefit to low-income earners, carers, widows and recipients of family tax benefits and parenting payments.

“This means that where a non-eligible Health Care Card holder in Kalgoorlie now must pay $76.85 for a train ticket to Perth - as of August 1, they will only pay $38.43.”

The Minister said Transwa’s metropolitan counterpart, Transperth, offered a blanket 50 per cent concession fare for all Health Care Card holders.

“The change to concession fare eligibility aligns fares across all intrastate public transport,” she said.