Labor’s new pensioner booking fee has slashed the number of pensioners using CountryLink services by 20% while raising more than $1 million in its first three months of operation, Shadow Minister for Transport Barry O’Farrell said today.
“In its first three months, this new tax introduced by Labor on 1 March, has raised more than $1 million for the Iemma Labor Government,” Mr O’Farrell said.
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“Over its first four months of operation, the number of pensioners using their Pensioner Travel Vouchers has fallen by 36,000 compared with the same period last year,” he said.
The booking fee is charged when people use their pensioner travel vouchers. The fee is either $10 or 15% of the full adult fare for the equivalent journey, whichever total is highest.
“This booking fee has made train travel simply unaffordable for many pensioners,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“A Liberal/Nationals Government is committed to abolishing the measure,” he said.
“Labor’s booking fee has simply made it harder for many pensioners to travel.
“As a result of the booking fee, 36,000 pensioners have decided it’s too expensive to use their ‘free’ travel vouchers.
“The introduction of the booking fee was only ever about raising more money for a Labor Government that has now plunged NSW into a $700 million budget deficit.
“Pensioners wanting to use the regional rail network are now paying the price for Labor’s economic incompetence.
“Labor’s continuing mismanagement of the regional rail network has resulted in CountryLink patronage falling by 750,000 passengers, or 30%, over the last eight years.
“A Liberal/Nationals Government will scrap the booking fee to encourage people to travel by rail to help revive regional train services,” Mr O’Farrell said.
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