Following calls from local charity groups, Transport Minister Simon Corbell has announced the temporary re-introduction of $2 paper tickets in order to cater to the less fortunate demographic of Canberrans.
The MyWay smartcard ticketing system introduced earlier this year requires commuters to purchase a $20.00 card which is then topped up through various avenues by a minimum of $5.00. Charity groups protested that under the previous system they were able to purchase $2.00 tickets for those in need, whereas the minimum cost of a ticket was now $20.00
Uniting Care Kippax’s Gordon Ramsay said that neither his organisation nor the clients it supports were able to afford the new smartcards, leaving those who relied upon the concessions with few options, with many resorting to traveling by foot.
Mr Corbell said today that the $2 paper tickets will be made available to charities by this Friday, whilst investigations into re-programming MyWay cards to accept lower recharge values are underway behind the scenes.
This page was last updated on 8 June 2011
