SACOSS call for ‘out-dated, illogical’ transport concessions to be fixed

Students and low-income workers are being forgotten by a badly designed transport system in a car-driven society, say advocates calling for a free thinking approach.

All school students should travel free on public transport, the South Australian Council of Social Service says.

And cheap or free bus and train travel now offered to seniors should be extended to all South Australians on low-incomes and concessions, the welfare group says in a report published on Saturday.

Australians live in a very car-centric society and restrictions on who is eligible for cheap public transport is particularly hard on low-income workers and families who can’t afford their own vehicle and need to travel at peak times, SACOSS says.

The state government should conduct a thorough review and simplify the patchwork of concession payments which are confusing to navigate and create poverty barriers, the report says.

SACOSS chief executive Ross Womersley said concessions are essential for many vulnerable people.

“They help those people in our community who are facing some of the most challenging circumstances to keep the lights turned on, get where they need to go, and otherwise meet their basic needs,” he said.

SACOSS chief executive Ross Womersley.

“The changes we are calling for will make big differences in the lives of people needing support, and those who might otherwise currently be overlooked.

“Our report looks at 13 different state government concessions and identifies instances where those on lower incomes are receiving less support than those on higher incomes, or are locked out entirely by poorly targeted, or poorly designed, eligibility criteria.”

Illogical arrangements noted by SACOSS include a low-income homeowner being eligible to claim a cost-of-living concession payment of $217 a year, or double the $109 paid to renters.

This was despite Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing renters spend a higher proportion of their income than the average household on current housing costs, the same on energy and food, and a little less on health and transport.

SACOSS traces the gap to when homeowners got extra to help pay council rates – but says landlords mostly build the cost of rates into rental payments so that argument is invalid.

On principle, SACOSS says concessions available to age pensioners should be extended to all people on lower or equivalent incomes.

SACOSS also wants:

ENERGY concession now paid up to a fixed $232/year to rather be a percentage of a bill.

AMBULANCE cover to be extended to all.

CONCESSIONS to be based on low-income criteria not necessarily tied to Centrelink eligibility.

The system reflects the piecemeal way in which governments have announced concessions at times of political pressure and many have arbitrary or outdated requirements on eligibility.

Holistic reform was needed.

“We must ensure we don’t leave people behind,” Mr Womersley said.

“You should be able to get concessions if you need them.”

The government was contacted for comment.