SuperGold free trips at risk – Peters

Senior citizens’ champion, Winston Peters, is warning the Government to keep its ‘‘hands off’’ the SuperGold card scheme.

The NZ First leader rode the train from Petone to Wellington station yesterday with a group of Grey Power members to protest against the Government’s attempts to ‘‘erode’’ free travel for those aged 65 and over.

Peters said Prime Minister John Key is claiming to ‘‘lead the charge on the SuperGold card’’ but that it’s not the case.

‘‘The [Government] has been out to stop the transport component, which for tens of thousands of people connects them with families in a way they can afford – it’s changed people’s lives.’’

It had also ‘‘put people on seats on buses, trains and ferries that would be empty otherwise,’’ he said.

From July 1, Government funding of the SuperGold card scheme will change from an individual fare reimbursement to a bulk funding model. The Government is introducing a $28 million funding cap for the next five years, aside from inflation adjustments.

The other change involves SuperGold cardholders using a smartcard to receive their free ride. In Wellington, that means buying a Snapper card; in Canterbury it’s a Metrocard; and in Auckland a HOP card.

Peters said that’s unreasonable and expensive and the SuperGold card should be ‘‘good nationwide and, in fact, in Australia’’.

He said the responsibility for the scheme was being passed onto local government and when they started charging more as costs increased, the Government would then blame councils.

‘‘You can’t bulk-fund increasing numbers unless you increase the bulk fund with the number, and they’re not.’’

With about 29,000 people joining the scheme each year as the population ages, Peters said the issue was only going to get worse.

The Government is trying to ‘‘kill’’ the scheme off, ‘‘but they’re not going to,’’ he said.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss said there were no plans to scrap the scheme, which was reviewed to ‘‘ensure its sustainability and accessibility’’.

‘‘I can assure you it is here to stay.’’ Baseline funding for the scheme had gone from $17.9m when it was first established to $28m this year, he said.