[3mummy3]

ok this might be a stupid question but just how exactly do you use the public bus service these days in melbourne?
When i was at school/uni i regularly caught the bus and just either bought a weekly bus ticket or just paid the daily fare on the bus.

Now there is this new myki system and im a bit lost!

Some of you might have seen a previous thread of mine regarding a complicated scool run set up shared with a freind. Now on advice from some posters in that thread i have decided my two highschool boys will start going to school and back on the bus. Unfortunately the school bus is full so we will need to use public system. Fortunately for the boys there is a stop just around the corner from home.

So now what do i do? I assume i need to get each of them a myki account, then just top up the money in there regularly. Do the boys then show this myki card to the bus driver when they get on? Do they also need some kind of school id card to get concession fares?

And just how much does bus travel cost for a 12 and 14 year old? We are in melbourne and our travel will be in zone 2 i think (berwick).

Any help would be appreciated!!!

[cward]

OK I'm in Sydney so it might be a bit different but even using the public bus I'm pretty sure kids can still use their school bus pass if they are travelling to and from school and they live a certain distance from the school. Have you checked if they are entitlted to free travel?

[3mummy3]

OK I'm in Sydney so it might be a bit different but even using the public bus I'm pretty sure kids can still use their school bus pass if they are travelling to and from school and they live a certain distance from the school. Have you checked if they are entitlted to free travel?

As far as i know there is no free travel in melbourne? We would still have to pay to use the school bus if there was vacancies, i think $800 per family per year

[YellowKittyGlenn]

go to your local train station with the boys, they need to present their consession card to get a concession myki, put money on both cards, when the boys get on the bus the put card on the scanner pad, it registers they find a seat, before getting off they touch off the same way they did when they got on.

You can top up at participating 7/11 stores and train stations, the cost of the card is $10.

[amanda79]

Vic doesn't have free travel for students

Yep you need to buy a myki for the kids, there are concession mykis as well as full fare. You can get myki money (works like a whole bunch of 2hr/daily tickets) or a myki pass (which works on what zone you're in etc).

Then when they get on the bus, they tap their card against the card reader.

[noi'mnot]

Get them each a concession Myki card. They'll need to show proof of concession entitlement to get one, and to carry this proof with them whenever they're using the Myki. Keep it topped up.

When they get on the bus, they just tap the Myki on a special sensor. Check the website for details of fares.

It's really very simple, and a great way to get them using public transport and getting used to it as a way to get around.

[ma-ma]

Is there a yearly ticket equivalent with myki? If not, this frequent travelling could get expensive!

I don't think it's a silly question op! This new system is all too confusing.

[YellowKittyGlenn]

no yearly on myki, its daily & 2 hour, its not as bad as you think ma-ma, works out the same as it did on metcards.

In all honesty its not as confusing or difficult as it seems, its just taping on and off & the balance appears on the screen so you can see when you need to top up. This option is myki money.

Myki pass you can purchase 7 day or 365 day but it will expire in 12 months irrespective of how many times you use it. If they arent using it on weekends the myki money may be more economical.

This post has been edited by YellowKittyGlenn: 19/02/2013, 11:28 AM

[hellsmail]

The boys are in high school they can get a student conessiion myki. go to a train stain and get the form for the conession card, you will need two passport photos and get the school to stamp the photos. cost $500 for a yearly travel pass and includes a student ID card which can bee used at the pictures etc. this entitles them to travel on any tram train and bus in victoria. $500 cos a lot but it will save over $200 for the year in travel costwhen comparing with a concession myki and can be used on weekends. remember that they need to TOUCH not swipe both on and off the bus This method means you never have to top up their card and is valid till the end of Feb 2014

[hellsmail]

actually yellowKittyGlen there is yearly myki for students as I have just bought 2 and there are yearly for workers cos I can get one via work