DIRECT digital payment is set to become an option for public transport users across Victoria, with a Ballarat-based lobby group backing the move.<\/p>\n
The State Government announced the change earlier this month with new ticketing supplier Conduent Business Services set to take over with a 15-year contract from December.<\/p>\n
Beginning in 2024, passengers will have other options to pay for travel in addition to Myki cards, like directly using credit or debit cards and smartphones or smartwatches.<\/p>\n
Convenor of the Ballarat Public Transport Users Association, Ben Lever, said the additional payment options are a positive change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will add more flexibility to the ticketing system, making it a lot easier for people who don’t take public transport very often, or those who might have lost their myki or left it at home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis goes some way to solving the issue of a lack of single-use tickets, since you’ll no longer need to buy a $6 myki before adding credit to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, Mr Lever did flag some potential problems with the change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not quite a complete solution because not everyone has a credit or debit card, particularly those under 18,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Currently, passengers traveling to Ararat, Maryborough and other long-distance locations still need to use paper tickets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government committed to rolling myki out to these locations at the 2022 election, but this was not mentioned in the recent Myki contract announcement, so we hope this important improvement hasn’t fallen off the agenda,\u201d said Mr Lever.<\/p>\n
Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, said the appointment of a new ticking provider was an \u201cevolution\u201d of the state\u2019s public transport services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new ticketing contract is an important step in the evolution of Myki as a future-proofed ticket to travel on Victoria\u2019s world-class public transport system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made improvements to Myki over the past seven years and now this new contract will provide a greater benefit to passengers, using proven technology to make it quicker and easier to top up, touch on and travel.\u201d<\/p>\n
There won\u2019t be any immediate changes to the Myki system with new the feature to be added to different services from next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DIRECT digital payment is set to become an option for public transport users across Victoria, with a Ballarat-based lobby group backing the move. The State Government announced the change earlier this month with new ticketing supplier Conduent Business Services set to take over with a 15-year contract from December. Beginning in 2024, passengers will have […]<\/p>\n