Image: Photo: Transport for NSW.
Transport Minister John Graham has proposed a new Bill to the New South Wales Parliament that is to claim $70 million from unused Opal Cards.
In a statement, Graham explained that there are an estimated 17 million unused Opal Cards with positive balances across New South Wales.
The large number of unused Opal cards is believed to be due to interstate or international visitors who have purchased one-off Opal credit on unregistered cards.
Funds would only be taken from Opal Cards with a positive balance if it has not been used in more than five years, and the average balance on these cards is approximately $4.
The funds would be taken in around by 2026-27, but there will be a year-long campaign before the government’s recovery of unused balances, and anyone with a card that has not been used in five years can recover their funds during that time.
Graham explains, “This Bill proposes to put those otherwise unused funds into Transport investments, particularly much-needed initiatives that will connect people to transport hubs by better active transport infrastructure and Opal-powered bike lockers”.
The main purpose of the Bill — which is proposed to amend the Passenger Transport Act 2014 — is to use the excess balances found on the unused Opal Cards to improve and invest in public transportation.
The government has suggested using the funding to add or improve bike lockers to public transport stations, or establishing a better system for shared e-bikes for the population in New South Wales.
“These are things that will benefit the people of NSW using the network every day,” Graham explained.
Currently, Opal cards are used on all of NSW’s public transport, which includes buses, trains, the metro, light rails, and ferries. While an Opal card was essential initially, now, commuters can simply tap on and tap off with their bank card or smartphone instead.
You May Also Like
Leave a Reply