Travel and concession cards

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Can I get free travel?

No, you can’t get free travel in Victoria unless you’re under 5 (which if you’re reading this, you’re probably not!).  But children at school and young people at university can get discounted fares (called concession fares).

Concessions may not apply to CountryLink, Great Southern Railway, airport services, tourist railways, privately run bus services and chartered trains, trams and buses. It’s a good idea to check with the relevant operator before booking or travelling if you want to use a concession ticket.

Do I need to carry a concession card with me?

If you’re under 17, you don’t need a concession card to buy a concession ticket, unless you also use or want a student pass. If you’re under 17 but you want a student pass, you need to apply for a VPT Concession Card and carry it with you at all times.

If you’re over 17, you need to make sure you have a concession card with you.  It’s OK if you only have an electronic copy of the card.

IMPORTANT: Your school ID is NOT a valid concession card!

What’s a student pass?

A student pass is a discounted pass for primary, high school and TAFE students.  It gives you unlimited travel on metropolitan trains, trams and buses, on all regional town bus services and all V/Line train and coach services operating wholly within Victoria.

If you live outside of the city, you can get a regional transit Student Pass, which gives you unlimited travel on all buses within the transit bus system and limited V/Line train services.

To get a student pass, you need to be a full-time primary, high school or TAFE student, and be an Australian citizen/permanent resident, or be a refugee.  

As at January 2018, the Victorian Student Pass costs $594 for a year, and $310 for half a year.  It may cost more when you read this page. To find out the current amount, check the most recent application form on this site: https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/buy-a-myki

How can I apply for a student pass?

To apply for a student pass, you need to fill in this form:
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/concessions-and-free-travel/children-and-students/school-students/

You can lodge your application at:

• PTV Hub at 750 Collins Street: Applications are accepted Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm.
• Premium Stations: Applications are accepted Monday – Friday after 9.30am. Some stations may be unable to process applications between 3.30pm – 6.00pm on weekdays. Also accepted all day Saturday and Sunday.
• Staffed V/Line stations and V/Line ticket agents: Call 1800 800 007 (6am – midnight daily) for locations and operating hours.

Can I get concession fares?

Yes, if you study full time and attend an approved undergraduate course.  You can find a list of approved institutions here: https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/concessions-and-free-travel/children-and-students/tertiary-students/

You’ll need to apply for a Public Transport Victoria Student ID  and carry your card on you at all times! Your university ID card is not a valid concession card!

You can’t get a VPT Concession Card if you’re:

• studying part time.
• enrolled in a masters, doctorate, or other postgraduate course
• an overseas full-fee paying student
• enrolled in a tertiary course which is less than 10 weeks duration
• enrolled in an apprenticeship course
• enrolled in an off-campus course (e.g. online)
  

If you’re enrolled in a course between 10 and 20 weeks, you can only get a card for half the year.  You can’t get a card at all if your course is less than 10 weeks long.  

How can I apply for a Concession Card?

To apply for a concession card, you need to fill in this form: https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/concessions-and-free-travel/children-and-students/tertiary-students/

When applying for a PTV Tertiary ID card, a $9 processing fee applies and the fee for the student’s first concession myki card is waived. If this myki card is lost or stolen, a replacement myki card must be purchased.

Behaviour on Public Transport

When you’re on public transport using your school pass, you have to follow the Code of Conduct. This includes things like not eating and drinking, not smoking, not distracting the driver and not vandalising the bus (for example by tagging it with graffiti).  

You can find a detailed list of the Student Codes of Conduct here. If you break the rules, you can get your pass taken away from you and pay a fine.

Fines

A transport officer officer has fined me for using my concession card without a Student ID. What can I do if I’ve been fined?

1. Pay it

If you’re over 17 (or under 17 and have a student pass), you need to have your concession card on your at all times.  If you don’t have your concession card, you can be fined up to $81 if you’re under 18. If you’re over 18, you can pay up $242.

If you receive a fine, you can:

• Pay the fine in full in person at any post officer, or by phone on 1300 303 505.
• You can also pay it online at Post Billpay or by mail through cheque to:

Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

GPO Box 2392

Melbourne VIC 3303

• If you can’t pay by the due date you can ask for an extension.

2. Dispute it

You can appeal against paying the fine by asking for a review.  You can lodge a review by visiting this website: https://online.fines.vic.gov.au/Request-a-review

If this is your first infringement and you go to primary school or high school,  you can get the fine cancelled as a one-off thing by sending a photocopy of the front and back of your concession card to Fines Victoria. Contact details can be found at this link: https://online.fines.vic.gov.au/Contact-Us.

Go to court.  Fill in and send the form at the end of the infringement notice.  You will then be given a court date and a time to go to court.

If you have a question on travel and concession cards that we haven’t answered here please contact us here.