Public Transport Concessions

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Police representing the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure about public transport concessions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: One of the most common complaints from South Australian tertiary students when travelling interstate is that their university or other student cards aren't recognised for the purpose of obtaining a concession fare on public transport. They have to pay the full price even though they may be on a very low income. The situation is the same in the other direction. Many South Australians study interstate and, when they come home for holidays, they find that their interstate university or TAFE card isn't accepted here.

In fact, it is not only tertiary students. Interstate full-time secondary school students aged 15 or over have to pay the adult fare because South Australia doesn't recognise their interstate high school student ID, and the same when South Australian high school students visit interstate. But this isn't the same for other categories of concession cardholders.

For example, commonwealth concession cardholders are recognised in South Australia and in other states, seniors from interstate are entitled to concession fares in South Australia and even some of the special categories of concession are recognised, even though their cards might be issued interstate. For example, if you are vision impaired, your interstate card will be accepted, and quite rightly so. So, reciprocity is clearly possible. Reciprocal arrangements exist for some types of concession categories but, if you are a secondary or tertiary student, forget it, you are paying the full price on the bus, train or tram.

My question of the minister is: what will the government do to promote reciprocal arrangements so that South Australian secondary and tertiary student public transport concession cards are recognised interstate and that visiting interstate students can also get concession fares on South Australian public transport?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his important question. It is a situation that I personally am familiar with, having once been a student and regularly travelling across the border and using public transport. Obviously, being a question that principally fits under the area of the Minister for Transport, I am more than happy to take that question on notice and seek a response from the responsible minister who sits, of course, in the other place.