The long wait for Opal

Sydney residents are using an electronic ticketing system that is brand new in its implementation, but aged in its use compared to other worldwide locations.

The roll-out of Sydney’s Opal card began in earnest last month – 17 years after the previous NSW Labor Government first mooted a smart travel card system.

Matthew Hounsell, co-convenor of EcoTransit, said the State Government had spent over a billion dollars on a system that is restricted in its use.

“A desire to meet Treasury’s irrational demands has left the residents of NSW paying a billion dollars and waiting years for a limited and already outdated system,” he said.

The original Tcard project was scrapped in 2007 after suffering losses of $64 million.

The State Government announced the contract for a new simplified electronic ticketing system in 2010, before revealing the name ‘Opal card’ in 2011. But the government has now been accused of slashing services to transport and increasing fares to help Treasury coffers.

“The Minister for Transport this year cut services, cut staff, raised fares and declared an end to monthly ticket savings just to try and increase the rate of return to the Treasury,” said Mr Hounsell.

But Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, said significant achievements had been recorded since the Liberal Party came to power.

“The NSW Government has introduced an extra 3,000 public transport services since we were elected, put more of a focus on customer service by frontline staff than ever before, and kept fare increases on January 6 to CPI only,” said Ms Berejiklian.

The Opal card system increased its output from selected ferry routes to include trains on the City Circle and stations to Bondi Junction last month.

“The Opal Customer Trial has gone very well with more than 11,550 customers registering to obtain their card,” said a Transport for NSW spokesperson.

The last decade has seen a vast growth in the use of smart card technology across the world.

In 1996, Seoul implemented the Upass card, followed by Hong Kong and then other countries including Egypt, Mexico and Argentina.

A decade after the launch of the Oyster card in London, the UK transport authority is now examining new technologies for its electronic ticketing system.

Transport for London’s Future Ticketing Project outlined that its most significant element will be the introduction of contactless debit, credit, charge cards (CPCs) and smartphones to touch onto London’s transport network.

“The launch of CPCs on London’s buses in December 2012 has run smoothly, at around 10,000 journeys a day,” said a Transport for London spokesperson.

Transport for NSW is continuing to press ahead with the introduction of the Opal card despite the emergence of new technologies.

“The Opal system is compatible with all new and emerging technologies, but our focus at the moment is getting the roll out right,” said Ms Berejiklian.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the government is “delivering a system that can be used by everyone – not just people who have mobile phones or credit cards”.

“Presently overseas there are only ‘pilots’ of various payment systems and technologies.”

Transport for NSW claim that only pilot schemes have taken place overseas.

“Almost 3 million journeys have now been made using CPCs on buses [in London],” said a Transport for London spokesperson.

“From early 2014 [CPCs will be used] at [London Underground] gates and at rail stations to pay for fares.”

Once the Opal card has completed its roll-out, it will cover an area of 40,000 square kilometres and will continue to offer commuters a capped fare of $15 a day Monday to Saturday and $2.50 on Sunday.

The Opal card offers customers the opportunity to travel free anywhere on the network once eight paid journeys have been made in one week.

Mr Hounsell said the system could have been rolled out across NSW at a faster rate if a simplified fare structure had been agreed upon.

“A simple universal fare structure would have allowed integrated ticketing to be rolled out across the state quickly and at a reasonable price,” he said.