Sunday, 6 November 2016

How Times Change With Child Fares On Public Transport - Since My Childhoood Times

There was young family members traveling to Mount Druitt, as they entered the bus on Luxford Road, Emerton the two parents paid for their own fare. They had 2 younger children: one son aged 6 and the daughter aged 4. The bus driver  called out' what about paying for the 2 children?

Image result for toddlers catching buses cartoon
Admittedly, the young father Anthony admitted he left Opal card for his son at home, by mistake and was told by a previous bus driver his daughter is excluded from  paying fares being a 4 year by a bus driver before. He then paid for the two children fares by cash $2.60 all up.

I spoke to him and provided my assistance in seeking research to see what the actual result was. Result was, 'Bus Driver was right - my thoughts were wrong':
Click here from details from NSW Transport 

I remember that in my childhood days the minimum childhood  age for  paying was 5 years, over 50 years ago. So over the period of terms of elected NSW State Governments, over the last 50 years the laws has changed to lower the age of paying child fare paying  commuters, from  5 years to 4 years.

Now the parents have to purchase another Opal Card. Maybe Opal can offer Family Opal Cards, where family names can be added and the card is scanned multiple times rather than having individual cards. When the child reaches at 10 years old or an age, when they can travel by themselves then  a new Opal Card can be issued to them and they are  removed off the family card.








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