Special kit to help ethnic public transport users

Transperth has combined with Perth's ethnic community to help migrants gain a better understanding of and access to the city's public transport services.

A special foreign language information kit has been produced with the help of the Western Australian Council of Social Service.  The kit will be used to help the more than 5,000 migrants who come to Perth each year from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Transport Minister Pam Beggs said today the kits included a video and pamphlet that covered all aspects of public transport use from information on how to buy a ticket to how to use the electric rail network and the city Busport.

"Many people coming to Australia for the first time rely on public transport, so it is important they understand what is available and how to use various services in helping them to get settled," Mrs Beggs said.

"This information is especially important in helping young people attend schools, people getting to and from work and in linking families with friends and relatives."

Mrs Beggs said the kits, available through Transperth and the Adult Migrant Information Centre, had been produced in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Farsi and Khmer, reflecting the big number of people who have migrated to Perth from these areas.

The project was funded jointly by Transperth and the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs at a cost of $23,000.

Commonwealth funding for the videos was arranged by the Western Australian Council of Social Service.

Council executive director Bindi Othergee said the kit would play a valuable role in helping people adapt to Perth's way of life.

"Isolation can lead to a range of physical, social and emotional problems," Ms Othergee said.

"We hope that initiatives such as this undertaken by Transperth will reduce the incidence of these problems."

She congratulated Transperth and the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs for their commitment to the project.