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Melbourne, July 9, 2009 – A new welcome booth is now available at the Melbourne Airport for international students. It was during its launch yesterday that Lord Mayor Robert Doyle pushed for concession fares for international students on the city’s trains, buses and trams.
According to Doyle, consulates and ambassadors have raised this issue with him several times. “This is a gesture we should make to say that not only that they are welcome, but that we treat them the same way as our own students,” says Doyle.

“Public transport is the only way (international students) have of getting around, so it is a very high cost for them.” Offering concession fares would make Australia more affordable to international students and could improve their social skills.

Student associations have also been lobbying for the international students concession fares. They have asked both Premier John Brumby and Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky for this benefit. However, Brumby said last week that the government is currently not considering offering concession fares because public transport is already subsidised.

“Public transport only recovers a proportion of its costs through fares. The majority of the cost of providing public transport to international students is met by the state of Victoria,” said Brumby in a letter to the Graduate Students Association.

Source:
theage.com.au