Melbourne’s much-maligned myki system is set for a major overhaul, with commuters soon able to tap on and off with their phones, credit cards or smartwatches.
American public transport ticketing group Conduant have beaten out the current operators of myki along with other bidders.
The American public transport ticketing specialist will upgrade the trouble-plagued myki system to take credit and debit cards, all smartphones and smartwatches.
Trials of the “cloud-based” system will begin in 2024, with the new technology to be rolled out more broadly the following year.
All train, tram and bus services across the state will be covered, but physical myki cards will remain functional after the two-year transition.
Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the announcement was an important moment for Victoria after 16 years of a card-based ticketing system.
“We will now reach the 21st century with account-based ticketing (that’s) simpler and more easier to use through your credit card, through your smartphone and through your smartwatch,” he said on Monday.
“This is a real step change for Melburnians and indeed Victorians. The benefit now in 2023 is that you can do off-the-shelf products that have had testing and had the bugs ironed out.”
Train commuters in major cities such as Sydney, London and Singapore can use their credit and debit cards to tap on and off and Brisbane is implementing similar technology.
