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University students, apprentices and trainees from regional NSW will soon have access to $250 worth of free travel as the government launches a card to cut the cost of their commute.
The card will pay the cost of students' public transport, taxi fares or fuel, as they face rising cost of living pressures, Deputy Premier and Regional NSW Minister Paul Toole said Sunday.
"We all know that when we were students we didn't have much cash," Mr Toole said.
"We were worrying about every dollar, every cent, how we were going to spend it and where it was going to be spent."
The prepaid debit card can be used on public transport, petrol, Opal card top ups, taxi rides, electric charging stations and privately operated coaches, and will become available from next year.
Regional students face a number of different challenges to those in metropolitan areas including a lack of access to public transport, the minister added, and the $250 card would make a world of difference.
Apprentices will be able to apply for the card in February, and university students will be eligible to apply in April.
The travel card is being rolled out for a two year trial period, Regional Transport and Roads Minister Sam Farraway said.
The card will be open to students aged 16, up to the pension age of 66 years and six months.
"It's not just about young students ... you can be someone transitioning careers, you can be upskilling, you can be a 50 year old apprentice," Mr Farraway added.
To be eligible for the card, students must reside in a regional area outside Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, be undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship registered with Training Services NSW or an undergraduate university course that is full time and face to face.
They must also meet citizenship or permanent residency requirements.
The program builds on the government's Regional Seniors Travel Card, which has been taken up by more than one million seniors, adding $200 million to the NSW economy.
