State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will today move a Notice of Motion calling on the Minister for Transport to reverse the new charges for Opal Card retailers.
On 1 November, retailers who sell Opal Cards and have a top-up machine were slugged with new fees, which for some was just too much. A number of retailers have now had the machine and cards removed from their shops.
Numbers of Opal Card retailers are dwindling and it is making it harder for commuters to access public transport. The Minister also recently removed the Opal Card and single trip ticket machine from Beresfield Train Station, meaning the nearest machine is now Warabrook Station.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“I will be moving a Notice of Motion in Parliament today, calling for the Minister to reverse the decision to charge retailers for having an Opal Card machine in their store.”
“Getting access to an Opal Card for some is difficult, as they are not online or don’t have a credit card to be able to top-up their card via phone or internet.”
“With some retailers already doing it tough, these new charges are just too much for them to absorb and the Opal Card facilities have been removed.”
“Public transport numbers are already dropping, and this Government just continues to throw up obstacle after obstacle for commuters.”
“Decisions like this are leaving some sections of the community even more isolated. They already struggle to get reliable public transport and now even if they can get a bus to show up, they cannot get on board because they cannot top-up or buy an Opal Card.”
“If the Minister really cares about public transport then he will reverse this decision and make sure the public has access to Opal Card facilities.”