Free public transport for Seniors Festival in October

Minister for Senior Victorians Gavin Jennings today urged Victorian seniors to take advantage of free public transport on V/Line and on metropolitan public transport during the Seniors Festival in October.

V/Line bookings open tomorrow (Thursday September 7) for free travel on V/Line regional services during the first week of October.

850,000 Victorian Seniors Card holders are eligible for free travel during the Seniors Festival to access more than 1000 free and discounted events taking place in Melbourne and provincial Victoria between Sunday October 1 and Sunday October 8.

All metropolitan public transport will be free for the eight days and V/Line travel will be free for five days. The V/Line free travel days are Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, Thursday 5, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October 2006.

Bookings are essential on trains from Albury and Wangaratta.

There are five days of free travel on V/Line and limited places on some services so make sure you plan your Festival itinerary early to make the most of this offer. The public transport network will still carry its everyday travellers and seniors can avoid congestion by travelling outside of peak times.

There will be events in every local government area as well as Melbourne, and the V/Line offer applied to Melbourne people going to regional Victoria as well as country Victorians coming to Melbourne.

The seven faces of the festival are chef Elizabeth Chong, actor Val Jellay-Fields, South Melbourne great Bobby Skilton, 2005 Victorian Senior of the Year Neil Trease, psychologist Dr Rita Lapidus, freelance journalist Andrew McIntyre and Brotherhood of St Laurence worker Lola McHarg.

The 2006 Victorian Seniors Festival Program (PDF 2.1mb) is made up of hundreds of events from around Victoria. Further copies of the program can be obtained from Coles and Bilo supermarkets through Victoria and from Information Victoria. A large print version is also avaliable (Word 1mb). The free or low cost events include:

• A swing dance with the B Sharp Big Band at Melbourne Town Hall
• A film festival for seniors at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
• Tai Chi at Federation Square
• Yoga with the elephants at Melbourne Zoo
• A concert at Melbourne Town Hall featuring Barry Crocker
• Country concerts across Victoria featuring Normie Rowe, Denise Drysdale and Frankie J Holden
• Go for your life YMCA seniors walks across Victoria.

For information on Melbourne’s trains, trams and buses call Metlink on 131 638 or visit www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au. For information on regional V/Line services call 136 196.