Old people like free stuff - pictures at 6

sepi said :

I think they can only get their free travel outside peak times.

There is no restrictions on what times a Gold Card user can use a Gold card for travel.

I am not pro-elderly vehicle manslaughter, nor anti elderly-bus-freebies.

I am pro-accuracy in reporting, especially if its from a Government sourceand the report seems designed to deliberately overstate facts to the public.

Far out, let the oldies have their free off peak rides – the bus runs anyway. Like VB says, it’s better than having them trying to drive.

Agree with caf – I’d rather see these people catching a bus for free, than being behind the wheel of their 1978 Sigma crashing into my wife and kids.

Ian said :

Just think, that statement was probably written by some minion, reviewed and approved both within the public service and in Stanhope’s office and still reads like the work experience kid wrote it. Says wonders for competence and quality control in the ACT govt.

A number of this government’s decisions appear to have been made in exactly the same way.

Allowing that most people would need to use two trips on a bus for each ‘excursion’, that equates to less than 3 ‘excursions’ per registered user per month. So less than once a week.

Not so very impressive, then.

Just think, that statement was probably written by some minion, reviewed and approved both within the public service and in Stanhope’s office and still reads like the work experience kid wrote it. Says wonders for competence and quality control in the ACT govt.

Clearly what is meant is that x number of old farts were recorded as having validated gold passes on buses 31,601 times in December.

Skidbladnir said :

(according to the Bureau Von Stats own estimate figures for 30 June 2008

Left out the link. 🙁
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/70EDD3BEE0A02348CA25751200103FB0/$File/31010_jun%202008.pdf

The fact that one in three Canberrans over the age of 75 have registered for it is pretty good uptake.

If it makes it easier for some people to admit to themselves that they probably shouldn’t be driving any more, more of it I say (note that I am not implying that all people over the age of 75 shouldn’t be driving – just some).

Stanhope needs to hire better writers, this makes it just too easy to tear apart whatever point they were after. 😛

Not only does the ACT _not have_ 31609 older Canberrans, (according to the Bureau Von Stats own estimate figures for 30 June 2008, we only have 15,201 Canberrans over the age of 75).

With only over 5800 _registered users_, the remaining 25,800 ‘older Canberrans who travelled for free’ are all participating in a scam for free bus travel, possibly by the registered users lending them out to friends?

Methinks they mean 31609 free _rides_ were given to Gold Card holders.