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Free Transport A Boon For Country Kids And StudentsChildren and full-time students throughout country Victoria will travel on public transport for free under a Liberal Government, Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said today. By Liberals - 6th November 2006 - Back to News Mr Davis said the Liberal Party’s public transport policy detailed how children to the age of 14, primary and secondary school students as well as tertiary students who are eligible for a concession card will receive free public travel.
"This initiative includes V/Line passenger trains as well as all metropolitan services, which is great news for country students," Mr Davis said.
"This policy will be especially welcome by tertiary students because it will ease their financial load, and provide more opportunity for country students who are studying in the city to come home at weekends without it costing them a cent.
"Families will also benefit from this initiative, because free travel for children will certainly ease the cost burden of family outings, holidays and everyday travel.
"But most of all this policy is especially geared towards country children and students.
"Because of the distances between services and facilities in country Victoria, those relying on public transport pay more than those in the city.
"A Liberal Government’s commitment to assist in the cost of travel for country Victorians will reduce isolation and open more doors for students."
Mr Davis said students must obtain a concession card ($8.50), which will be used to obtain free public transport on all V/Line’s rural trains and buses, urban bus services in Victoria’s regional cities and towns such as Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, the Latrobe Valley, Warrnambool and Wodonga.
It will also include Melbourne trains, trams and buses.
A Liberal Government will introduce the free public transport from July 2007.
"A Liberal Government will assist country students to continue their studies in other regional centres and in Melbourne by easing the burden of public transport costs."
(For further detail see ‘A Liberal Government Plan for Improved Public Transport Access’, at www.vic.liberal.org.au)
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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