Electronic transport tickets trialled in Sydney

Date: 26/11/2012

A trial of electronic tickets for public transport is to begin in Sydney from December, as the system is rolled out on ferries.

It has been ten years in the making, but Gladys Berejiklian, (NSW) New South Wales Transport Minister, said that a single card will be used to pay for all transport by 2015.

This will include ferries, trains, buses and light rail, with trains using the so-called Opal card from 2013 and buses and light rail being incorporated two years later.

Ms Berejiklian said: "This is something that will change the way we use public transport.

"It will be an easy system, where commuters simply have to tap on and tap off, and it will be like having an e-tag in your pocket."

The idea to have electronic ticketing was originally proposed in 1997 as installed infrastructure for the 2000 Olympics in the city, but the proposals underwent a number of delays.

Only now that a dispute between the NSW government and original developer has been resolved have the plans been able to go ahead.

On December 7th the first passengers to use the Opal cards will be on the Neutral Bay ferry route, Ms Berejiklian confirmed.

The card itself will be free, but will need to be topped up with credit in order to pay for journeys in a similar way to the e-tag system which works for cars in NSW.

To begin with there will be no difference in the cost of fares as the new system is trialled, but once up and running a new pricing policy will be put in place.

Ms Berejiklian said that a daily cap would be introduced, standing at AU$15 (£9.80) Monday to Saturday and AU$2.50 on Sundays.

Electronic transport systems are in place in a number of locations across the world, including London, where they are seen as more convenient ways of paying for transport and reducing queues and congestion.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News