ACT seniors are reminded they have until this Friday to take advantage of the offer of $10 free, pre-loaded bus travel by signing up for a combined ACT Seniors/MyWay card, Chief Minister and Minister for Transport Jon Stanhope said today.

Over 13,000seniors have obtained one of the cards since the Council on the Ageing started issuing letters advising them of the offer last month.

“Seniors are embracing the new MyWay smartcard technology but time is running out for them to take up the offer of $10 worth of free bus travel,” Mr Stanhope said.

“Seniors who are interested in arranging a combined card should take their completed application form, which is enclosed with their letter, to any Canberra Connect Shopfront, ACT Public Library or the Council on the Ageing office in Hughes.”

A MyWay ACTION bus will be on display tomorrow at the Seniors Expo at the Old Bus Depot, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston from 10am to 3pm. ACTION staff will be on hand to answer questions.

Mr Stanhope said the majority of seniors would enjoy cheaper travel with the new MyWay fare system.

“The off-peak daily concession fare of $1.70 has now been removed and replaced with an off-peak concession fare, which will include a free 90-minute transfer, at a set fare of $0.55,” Mr Stanhope said.

“This means that seniors who take, for example, a journey to the shops in the morning using two connecting buses, then a journey home using two connecting buses will pay no more than $1.10.”

For regular bus travellers, a daily fare cap will ensure seniors pay no more than $3.80 daily. A monthly cap of 36 paid trips will also mean that any trips taken over the capped amount during the calendar month – $45.36 for peak travel and $19.80 off peak – will be free.

Patrons will need to ensure they tag on and tag off before and after their bus trip to register their trips correctly on the MyWay system. MyWay will also offer a 5% discount for cards recharged via direct debit or BPAY.

MyWay cards – along with cash fares – will be the only way to travel on an ACTION bus from Monday, 11 April 2011. For more information on MyWay, visit http://www.transport.act.gov.au/ or call 13 17 10.

This page was last updated on 13 August 2022