Retaining our independence as we age is something we all value.

As we get older, we may find ourselves unable to get around as easily as we used to. Health conditions, injuries, and infirmities can quickly catch up with us.

Maintaining exercise, having a good diet, and nurturing our bodies, minds, and spirits can be challenging when we are unable to easily travel to the doctor, get groceries or socialise with family and friends without spending a fortune on taxis or relying on others driving us there. 

For many older Australians, particularly in regional, rural, and remote areas, limited and costly transportation is unfairly impacting their quality of life. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Making transportation more affordable is one way our governments can help Australia’s growing older population to extend their mobility and independence for as long as possible.

While many governments currently offer discounted public transport for seniors, we’re urging them to go a step further and make public transport free across all states and territories, at all times—not just during off-peak times.

Some governments are experimenting with the idea, but free public transport must become permanent so seniors can feel confident moving about at any time without cost. This will help seniors, especially the most isolated and disadvantaged, to carry out essential daily activities, from keeping crucial appointments to socialising with friends and family.

In a big win for South Australian seniors, the state’s government will be offering them free public transport from 1 July—in part, due to strong campaigning from National Seniors.

At a cost of $1.26 million per year, this initiative will ease the cost-of-living burden for more than 400,000 South Australian seniors, which is particularly needed as rising fuel costs make it less and less affordable to drive.

Following this success, National Seniors has been campaigning Tasmanian and Australian Capital Territory governments to make public transport free for seniors to help cut travel costs, road congestion, and transport emissions, and improve seniors’ ability to get around.

The Tasmanian Government introduced five weeks of free public transport for all during March and April this year. We’re now urging them to make this permanent.

One of the biggest challenges for implementing improved public transport concessions across the country is that it is currently funded entirely by state and territory governments. This leads to inconsistent policies between states resulting in some seniors being better off than others.

To make it fairer and more consistent for all, we believe it needs additional Commonwealth action and support. The federal government should offer the states the opportunity to work together to provide free public transport because it’s a low-cost and simple way to benefit seniors’ health, the environment, and the economy.

When more people use public transport, transport infrastructure networks can work more efficiently, leading to more services.

It will give people a cheaper means to get around and help ease traffic congestion and pollution that affects all Australians.

It’s an example of what government can do to reduce living costs associated with essential goods and services.

Public transport is not available to all Australians. Even if it were free, tens of thousands of seniors who live in outer suburbs, or regional, rural, or remote areas will simply miss out because public transport services don’t exist. 

To help support those who live outside of metro areas, our Fairer Concessions campaign is also calling on governments to make other means of transport less expensive to bring down the cost of living for seniors.

Currently, three state governments (New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory) offer transport concessions to eligible seniors in regional, rural and remote areas to help them overcome the unique transport challenges they face:

• New South Wales regional seniors travel card: Offers eligible seniors in regional, rural and remote areas a $250 pre-paid card to ease the cost of travel. The travel card can also be used at certain retailers across Australia to pay for fuel, taxis, and pre-booked NSW Trainlink Regional trains and coaches.
• Western Australian Country Age Pension Fuel Card: Gives eligible pensioners up to $575 a year towards the cost of fuel and / or taxi travel from participating providers.
• Northern Territory Seniors Recognition Scheme: Provides eligible seniors with a $500 prepaid card that can be used for travel and accommodation, and to purchase fuel (as well as other living costs). These are much-needed financial aids for seniors who choose to live and remain independent in country communities.

National Seniors is calling on other state and territory governments to follow their example and support seniors living in regional, rural, and remote Australia.

Discounted and free transportation is just one of the initiatives we’re campaigning for as part of our broader Fairer Concessions campaign. Older Australians need help keeping up with rising living expenses including doctors' fees, dental work, medicines, private health insurance, aged care, transport, housing, energy costs, and other essentials like getting online in the digital age.

While federal, state, territory, and local governments offer a range of concessions for older Australians, many are set too low and often aren’t indexed annually to match changes to cost of living.

Older people are crying out for concessions that are fair and reasonable.

Our Fairer Concessions campaign is pushing for changes to government concessions to make them fairer and more consistent. It also aims to raise awareness on the concessions currently available to older Australians. This includes our free online tool, the National Seniors Concessions Calculator. 

The Concessions Calculator is quick and easy to use and shows you what concessions you could be eligible for, which could help you save money.

Check out your concession entitlements and join the campaign here.