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Free Public Transport for Young People Campaign

In collaboration with 30 welfare, youth, educational and advocacy organisations including VCOSS, Melbourne City Mission, YACVic, Traveller's Aid, and Council for Homeless Persons (just to name a few), Youthlaw is campaigning for homeless young people to receive a full concession (“free”) travel on public transport for a fixed period (eg. 12 months). Young homeless people who satisfy recognized homeless eligibility criteria (eg. the widely used Chamberlain and McKenzie definition).

We have now developed a strengthened proposal that has been submitted to government: Getting There:
A Homeless Youth Transport Policy Proposal [615KB PDF].

The benefits of the proposal:

Reduce agency time and resources currently dedicated to assisting homeless young people with fines: time and resources that could be better spent supporting these young people out of homelessness.
Free up brokerage funds agencies currently use to provide MET tickets to clients.
Free transport will increase young people's access to support, advocacy, educational, employment, health and welfare services, resulting in improved health / well-being outcomes, and possibly pathways out of homelessness.
Far less expensive initiative for government than funding the costly system of fine enforcement that involves fines against homeless young people proceeding through police, public service processes and the court system with the result that most are set aside or result in non-monetary orders.

What your organisation can do to support the Campaign for Free Public Transport for Young Homeless People [122KB Word file].

We are requesting letters supporting the proposal are sent to:

Mr Jim Betts
Director of Public Transport
Department of Infrastructure
80 Collins Street
PO Box 2797
Melbourne VIC 3001
FAX: 03 9655 6752

We will call a campaign network meeting in May or June. Stay tuned.