Passengers who have paid for a myki pass spanning 28 days or longer – but not those using a weekly pass or pay-as-you-go – will receive the refund,worth up to $9.20 for adults. To be eligible,commuters need to have tapped on for train travel for at least 10 days in July.
However,the Public Transport Users Association’s Daniel Bowen said eligibility should be expanded so that people travelling on different fares could be compensated for delays.
“This has been a problem for some time. The eligibility is quite narrow,” Bowen said. “Every day passengers who were delayed on their journeys during July can only apply for compensation if they happen to use a myki pass rather than myki money,which is what most people used.”
He expected fewer people now paid for a monthly or annual pass because they were commuting less often as a result of the pandemic.
Department of Transport data confirmed the number of people travelling on 28-day or longer passes has dropped by three quarters. On Monday,23,817 people had the eligible myki pass,compared with 93,618 people on the same day in 2019.
Nick Foa,the department’s head of transport services,said the narrow criteria ensured compensation went to customers who were significantly affected by disruptions.