The NSW Government introduced the Regional Seniors Travel Card in 2020, providing eligible seniors a $250 pre-paid Visa card they could spend on pre-booked NSW TrainLink, regional train and coach services, as well as fuel and taxi trips.

There were 337,500 people who accessed the card in 2020, the first year of the two-year trial, and in the first three months of applications for 2021 there's been more than 300,000 were received.

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the card was an election promise that had been fulfilled and, on top of that, was proving to be incredibly successful.

"Many people I've spoken to say it's helped with their budgeting throughout the year and people have been able to take additional trips to go and visit family and friends, trips which may have been prevented before and were not affordable," he said.

"Already within three months of the card being opened for this year we've just passed 300,000 people.

"I think this is a great card, it was an election commitment that was made in 2019, we're in our second year of the card right now and it's just an overwhelming success.

"... Transport in Sydney is subsidised, so this is the first time we've seen an initiative like this in regional communities and the numbers really show the success of the program."

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In the Bathurst Regional local government area, 70.17 per cent of eligible applications have been taken up.

An almost identical take up was seen in Lithgow, while take up rates of 61.73, 58.68 and 42.19 per cent were seen in the Blayney, Oberon and Mid-Western Regional areas respectively.

In addition to making travel more affordable, Mr Toole said the card has also put money into communities.

"It's money spent in regional communities, so that's supporting a lot of our local taxis that are family-run businesses and supporting our service stations that are run by locals, so it actually provides that economic stimulus back into our communities and our towns and continues to provide and keep jobs in our communities," he said.

Mr Toole said the trial of the program will be assessed at the end of 2021, but he expects the card will be here to stay for regional communities.

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