TRANSPORT concessions kick in at last here in Victoria, under a three-year trial which will allow international undergrads to purchase an annual Myki pass for the zone(s) in which they study at half-price. Darren Boon reports.
Photo: Alpha via Flickr
International undergraduate students can now apply to purchase an annual half-price Myki pass for the zone(s) in which they study under the iUSEpass initiative.
The initiative which will be on trial for three years, was first unveiled by the Victorian Government in March last year, following years of lobbying by student groups and local councils to introduce public transport concessions for international students.
The discounted myki passes will be valid for Zone 1, Zone 1+2, or for the relevant regional zone depending on where a student’s education institution is located.
A full fare yearly pass in 2015, according to Public Transport Victoria, would cost students $1501.50 for travel in Zone 1 or Zones 1+2, and $994.50 to travel within Zone 2.
The iUSEpass initiative will now see students paying just $750.75 to travel in Zone 1 or Zones 1+2, and $497.25 for travel in Zone 2.
To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a full time undergraduate course (Bachelor or Associate degree) or a higher VET course (Advanced Diploma or Diploma) in participating schools. Students need to apply at their institution for an iUSEpass code in order to purchase their discounted Myki pass online.
Participating schools include:
- Australian Catholic University
- Central Queensland University
- Deakin University
- Education Access Australia
- La Trobe University
- Lonsdale Institute of Technology
- Melbourne University
- Monash University
- Photography Studies College
- RMIT University
- Royal Gurkhas Institute of Technology
- South Pacific Institute Pty Ltd
- St Stephen Institute of Education Pty Ltd
- Swinburne University
- The Imperial College of Australia
- University Institute of Technology Pty Ltd
- University of Divinity
- Victoria University
For more information, get in touch with your respective education institution or visit the Public Transport Victoria website.
It’s interesting that only a full fare yearly pass do the concession.. It is more beneficial if you travel to school every weekday. Say if you travel 3 days a week, and go for holiday for 3 months from Dec to Feb. It might not make a huge difference? The reason I point this out is because local students get concession without needing to purchase a full fare yearly pass, which still marks a difference.
Nonetheless, I’m doing a post graduate course so I won’t be able to apply for concession.
I’m glad that the government did this but I just thought it’s interesting the way they do it.
This not-so-generous initiative does nothing to assist the many international students travelling from Werribee or Point Cook to geelong via v-line, as there is no inter-city discount.
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