Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson denies students are facing a 10-week wait to be eligible for transport concessions in the state's southeast.
From Tuesday, any student travelling at a discounted rate without the identity card face a $227 on-the-spot fine.
But the University of Queensland student union says a backlog of applications at the transport department is putting thousands at risk.
President Josh Millroy says he has been swamped with emails from students, some of whom have been waiting for more than two months for their travel card.
The department has gone as far as advising students to buy full-priced fares until they secure their discount card.
Students are required to submit applications for the half-price travel card to their tertiary institution.
They are then forwarded to Translink, whose website states the process may take up to 15 business days.
Mr Emerson said 65,000 cards had already been issued and made no apologies for stopping people who are rorting the system.
He said only two people claiming to be students were fined on Tuesday and denied the department was taking too long to process applications.
"The longest it's taking at the moment is about 10 days to get a card," he told ABC Radio.
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