It could be a national first, with salary-packaged bus fares being offered to Canberra’s public servants from Wednesday
May 31, 2011
Starting this week, ACT Government employees will be offered salary-packaged bus fares on the Territory’s ACTION bus services.
The incentive aims to drive Canberra’s 20,000 territory government employees and their families onto public transport, which new ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says will reduce individual travel costs.
“I am very pleased to announce this important initiative which will see ACT Public Service employees save up to between $300 and $400 a year on the cost of public transport for travel between home and work,” Gallagher says.
“As the second biggest employer in Canberra with a workforce of nearly 20,000 this is a significant commitment to our employees and the community.”
Gallagher says a commitment to initiate arrangements was made in the ACTPS 2010-2011 enterprise bargaining agreements to introduce salary packaging of public transport costs for ACT Government employees.
“The benefit applies to all public service employees including part-time workers, and also applies to family members for their travel between home and work or school on ACTION buses under a private ruling obtained from the Australian Taxation Office,” Gallagher says.
“In addition to providing savings to ACT public servants and their families, the introduction of this initiative will also hopefully see greater patronage on our buses which in turn will lessen the carbon footprint of the ACT.”