Fare subsidies: fear group will pay more

A bus advocacy group is warning a "digital divide" could result in Community Services Card holders in Dunedin paying more than they have to on bus fares when new subsidies from the Government kick in on July 1.

However, the Otago Regional Council says there are many places people can go for help if they cannot update their Bee Cards online.

The council will be offering concessions, as part of the Ministry of Transport’s community connect programme, when the changes take effect.

Community Services Card holders are required to add their Ministry of Social Development client number to their Bee Card electronic bus tickets and doing so will give them 50% off standard adult Bee Card fares.

To get the Community Connect discount, passengers first need to register their cards online.

Bus Users Support Group Ōtepoti co-president Liz Angelo said the online registration process could be a hindrance for people.

"There is a possibility for a digital divide to exclude people with poor access to the internet, perhaps due to disability, refugee status or poverty."

Transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said the council had provided web-based and print-based information across the community to explain where people could get help to register their cards.

"Hundreds of informative flyers have been sent to our operators to be placed on the bus, our retailers including Dunedin City Council and libraries, MSD [Ministry of Social Development] as well as various community groups such as Age Concern and Community Care Trust in Dunedin."

People could also call into the regional council’s offices, where they could be registered on site.

The concessions include free transport for 5 to 12-year-olds and half-price fares for 13- to 24-year-olds, while for over-25s using a Bee Card fares will cost $2 per one-way trip.

There will be no change to the off-peak concessions for SuperGold card-holders - $2 during peak times with a Bee card.