30 May 2011

How many ACT Public Servants will salary package their bus use?

| johnboy
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Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has announced the thrilling news that slaray packaging of bus fares is kicking off for the ACT PS from 1 June 2011.

From 1 June 2011 the ACT Government will provide ACT Public Service employees and their families an incentive to get on the bus and reduce their travel costs with plans to provide access to salary packaging for ACTION bus fares outlined in Estimates today by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher MLA.

“I am very pleased to announce this important initiative which will see ACT Public Service employees save up to between $300 and $400 a year on the cost of public transport for travel between home and work,” Ms Gallagher said.

“As the second biggest employer in Canberra with a workforce of nearly 20,000 this is a significant commitment to our employees and the community.”

“In addition to providing savings to ACT public servants and their families, the introduction of this initiative will also hopefully see greater patronage on our buses which in turn will lessen the carbon footprint of the ACT.”

Anyone want to predict takeup?

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“As for the comment that the services here are “crowded”, lol. A little bit for maybe 30 minutes in the morning?”

I would speculate that is when most people are using them and so it is a more common experience than not.

neanderthalsis1:03 pm 31 May 11

This could be useful when the ACT Govt Deathstar is operational and housing 4000 public servants, members and apparatchiks with only half a dozen or so carparks for the imperial commanders coupled with already crowded civic parking lots. Civic based fed and ACT pubes will need to drive in a 3:23am to find a carpark.

ABC129 said :

Sod the bus fare. I want to salary sacrifice my next pushie!

Fair enough – but will you be able to do the required 20 000km/year as a condition to salary sacrificing? 🙂

dpm said :

cocoa said :

Let’s get Katie on the peak hour bus to work with no seat and bus jam packed and stuck in traffic jam on Northbourne Ave. Let’s see if she has to get off to stop passing out. Let’s see if she gets some creepy guy rubbing up against her leg. Or maybe she can’t stand up for the car park of peak hour traffic and has to sit in the stairway. Yeah let’s go public transport. That’s if it even turns up. And then let’s dock her pay for not being there on time! Better add flags for data mining ACTION.

Geez people, no one is forcing anyone to catch a bus! Isn’t it just an extra option for people to consider, if they want? And who knows, maybe if more people used the bus they’d actually get serious and sort out the mess into a more useable service?!?
The first reaction to an announcement shouldn’t always be a complaint or negative reaction. If it is, then it’s distressing that the world is such a sad place for most people….

Hear, hear!

I think this is great. But they should extend it to all workers. And what happens if you use it outside of going to/from work? Do you need to then purchase a separate ticket.

And it’s probably a bit of a softener due to the changes to FBT rates for salary sacrificing vehicles that is coming in. http://www.pwc.com.au/tax/federal-budget/2011/fbt-changes.htm

What pisses me off is that it’s ACT PS only. In London, all govie and educational institutions and many (all?) businesses offered a similar facility for yearly public transport passes. Of course, in London, there IS public transport.

As for the comment that the services here are “crowded”, lol. A little bit for maybe 30 minutes in the morning?

mikal said :

magiccar9 said :

Perhaps she should spend some of this money on making sure buses are cleaned, maintained, run on time, and actually show up for those willing to use them…

While I agree that ACTION services are terrible, I think you’re confused about salary sacrifice. There is no extra money from the ACT government in this announcement. They’re merely allowing staff to use pre-tax dollars to pay for bus tickets. Total salary spend should stay the same for the government.

What about the FBT? Also, it’s a reduction in the federal government’s tax income, which has an indirect effect the ACT’s budget and a direct effect on those of us who aren’t able to access such a scheme.

cocoa said :

Let’s get Katie on the peak hour bus to work with no seat and bus jam packed and stuck in traffic jam on Northbourne Ave. Let’s see if she has to get off to stop passing out. Let’s see if she gets some creepy guy rubbing up against her leg. Or maybe she can’t stand up for the car park of peak hour traffic and has to sit in the stairway. Yeah let’s go public transport. That’s if it even turns up. And then let’s dock her pay for not being there on time! Better add flags for data mining ACTION.

Geez people, no one is forcing anyone to catch a bus! Isn’t it just an extra option for people to consider, if they want? And who knows, maybe if more people used the bus they’d actually get serious and sort out the mess into a more useable service?!?
The first reaction to an announcement shouldn’t always be a complaint or negative reaction. If it is, then it’s distressing that the world is such a sad place for most people….

This is just a softening up for the day when the last all day parking spots in civic and town centres where the ACT Government has offices (are there any?) disappear – I am betting 2017.

Of course those busily lauding the plans for the new office block will be working out how many levels of underground parking are required for their Territorys and Jeeps.

Let’s get Katie on the peak hour bus to work with no seat and bus jam packed and stuck in traffic jam on Northbourne Ave. Let’s see if she has to get off to stop passing out. Let’s see if she gets some creepy guy rubbing up against her leg. Or maybe she can’t stand up for the car park of peak hour traffic and has to sit in the stairway. Yeah let’s go public transport. That’s if it even turns up. And then let’s dock her pay for not being there on time! Better add flags for data mining ACTION.

How many ACT Public Servants will salary package their bus use?

Here’s a better question:
Who is the real benefactor of this scheme? No, seriously, who??

an incentive to get on the bus and reduce their travel costs
…and increase travel time, flexibility, risk to personal safety.

How about a fuel rebate for PS instead? You’ll win votes and everyone will be happy!

This is an excellent move, and im glad its being publicised. It could have too easily been an admin change, and gone unnoticed by everyone.

ABC129 said :

Sod the bus fare. I want to salary sacrifice my next pushie!

now you’re talking. That’s an excelelnt idea

magiccar9 said :

So she is pushing the PS onto the overcrowded, under facilitated, and useless public transport system.
After that the next step will be to continue ignoring the obvious transport problem staring them in the face – because it would be too hard to fix the problem!

Perhaps she should spend some of this money on making sure buses are cleaned, maintained, run on time, and actually show up for those willing to use them…

Why bother, when the government can simply make parking more expensive ‘to encourage the use of public transport’?

magiccar9 said :

Perhaps she should spend some of this money on making sure buses are cleaned, maintained, run on time, and actually show up for those willing to use them…

While I agree that ACTION services are terrible, I think you’re confused about salary sacrifice. There is no extra money from the ACT government in this announcement. They’re merely allowing staff to use pre-tax dollars to pay for bus tickets. Total salary spend should stay the same for the government.

magiccar9 said :

So she is pushing the PS onto the overcrowded, under facilitated, and useless public transport system.
After that the next step will be to continue ignoring the obvious transport problem staring them in the face – because it would be too hard to fix the problem!

Perhaps she should spend some of this money on making sure buses are cleaned, maintained, run on time, and actually show up for those willing to use them…

And perhaps the use of bus shelters would be a good thing. Up north (near you Al) there are very few bus shelters built…………….so, the choice between going to work in a warm car or standing the sleet and snow during the winter is a real hard one. Gee, what to do…..???

So she is pushing the PS onto the overcrowded, under facilitated, and useless public transport system.
After that the next step will be to continue ignoring the obvious transport problem staring them in the face – because it would be too hard to fix the problem!

Perhaps she should spend some of this money on making sure buses are cleaned, maintained, run on time, and actually show up for those willing to use them…

Gungahlin Al3:28 pm 30 May 11

Anyone want to predict takeup?

Perhaps it is more a case of those ACT Govt staff who already bus it, being able to salary sacrifice those commuting costs in a similar way to those who choose (for whatever reason) to drive?

It is a rebalancing of the perverse current situation that actually encourages people to drive instead of use PT. And that I’d say is a good thing.

And if it gets more people choosing the bus (or train??) then all the better.

Should acknowledge that this is Katy picking up a long-standing policy of The Greens, and credit to her for not adopting the usual “not invented here” mindset.

Sod the bus fare. I want to salary sacrifice my next pushie!

So who pays the FBT?

And I’m sure that this is going to happen………………………………..taking the bus? What bus?

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