60 Plus

Page last modified/checked: Sunday, 10th August, 2008

One of the last tickets to be introduced during the currency of the neighbourhood fare system turned out to be one of the most popular new ticket types to be offered to Metropolitan public transport users in a long time, and certainly during the period covered by this website.

The 60 Plus ticket was introduced on the 1st of January 1989 and was available to Victorian citizens 60 years of age or older who were either retired or no longer working for more than 35 hours per week. In order to obtain this ticket an application form had to be filled out; this also acted as a legal declaration. When presented at railway stations, tram and bus depots or the City Met shop, the form was processed, filed, and the applicant issued with a sixty plus concession card. This card was presented whenever a 60 plus or concession fare was requested.

The 60 plus ticket was provided in two formats as follows:

The metropolitan issue was printed on thin card, punch dated and held as a twelve month running issue. It was sold from railway stations and on board trams and buses.

The V/Line issue was provided as an Edmondson card ticket, issued free from country railway stations strictly in conjunction with concession economy off-peak return tickets to Melbourne.

This issue saw the re-use of the redundant blue card stock formerly used for Economy down direction tickets.

The success of the 60 plus ticket is owed to the fact that it was aimed specifically at a market that hitherto was bound to the purchase of general issue concession fares. These fares were still applicable for a number of metropolitan tickets to a lesser value than the 60 plus, but the appeal of a low priced flat fare offering unlimited travel was greatly welcomed. A further advantage of the 60 plus ticket was its availability onboard several bus routes that extended beyond the boundary of the metropolitan fare structure to Warburton (Route 683) and Portsea (Route 788). An original newspaper advertisement for the forthcoming 60 plus is available here.

While reveiwing the 60 plus ticket, it is appropriate to acknowledge the photo based identification card known as the "Sixty Saver Concession Card". These had been introduced in 1984 to persons 60 years of age or older who were either in full time or part time employment or a self funded retiree, ie: they were not eligible for any form of transport concession card. The introductory leaflet explains further:

When the sixty plus concession card and ticket were introduced, holders of the sixty saver concession card who were in part time employment were eligible for a refund on their card if they wished. Otherwise, these cards remained on issue until late October 1991 in favour of the widespread introduction of the Victorian Senior Citizens Card. These changes will be covered later in our review of the zonal fare system.

As a closing word on this section, when the neighbourhood fare structure was replaced, the 60 plus tickets continued into the zonal era in a similar format to those shown here. As a consequence, it takes a sharper eye to identify an original neighbourhood issue.

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