AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

COMMONWEALTH MOTOR OMNIBUS FARES REGULATIONS

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

No. 7 of 1964

	The present system of regulation fares to be charged for motor omnibus services within the Australian Capital Territory requires the detailed specification of section stops by reference to their physical location in the Fares Regulations made pursuant to the Commonwealth Motor Omnibus Services Ordinance 1955-1964.

	The existing system is administratively inconvenient in view of frequent extensions and alterations of omnibus routes arising from Canberra’s rapid growth and it is considered desirable to introduce a more flexible system of fixing fares, which will not require description of sections in the Regulations and consequent amendment from time to time.

	The desired flexibility can be best achieved by provisions authorising the Minister to determine the location of sections and to make a schedule to the Regulations setting out the amounts of fares payable for numbers of sections travelled.  It has been necessary, therefore, to amend the definition of “section stop” in the Regulations.

	The opportunity has also been taken to include in the Regulations provisions relating to concession fares for children and school children when travelling generally or to or from school, Sunday-school or church service, for students engaged in studies at a University, College or High School and for recipients of widows’ invalid or age pensions or wives’ allowances under the social Services Act 1947‑1964 and service widows’ pensions or service wives’ allowances under the Repatriation Act 1920‑1964, the Repatriation (Far East Strategic Reserve) Act 1956‑1962 or the Repatriation (Special Overseas) Service) Act 1962.

	The concession fare for a person within any of the abovementioned categories, with the exception of children travelling to or from school, Sunday‑school or a Church Service, will be one‑half of the full fare in respect of a journey if the full fare for that journey is an even number of pence or, if the full fare for the journey is not an even number of pence, one‑half of the amount ascertained by deducting one penny from the full fare.  The fare for a child travelling to or from school, Sunday‑school or a Church Service will be threepence irrespective of the length of the journey.  “Child” and “School child” are defined in Regulation 3.

	The exemptions from the obligation to pay fares which are currently extended to children under the age of five years who do not occupy seats in omnibuses, incapacitated returned soldiers and members of the Australian Capital Territory Police Force and persons employed with the Transport Section of the Facilities Branch of the Department of the Interior travelling between their homes and places of duty are retained in the Regulations.

	Consequent upon the inclusion of a provision authorising the Minister to place signs indicating the location of section stops, Regulation 12 provides for the imposition of a penalty of Twenty-five pounds for moving, damaging, obscuring or otherwise interfering with section stops.

	In view of the number of the abovementioned amendments it has been decided to repeal the existing Regulations and remake them.