Huge transport upheaval every Melbourne commuter needs to know about: why Myki cards will soon be a thing of the past
Melbourne commuters will soon be able to use bank cards
You can use smartphones to turn on and off
The Victorian Government has announced that commuters in Melbourne will be able to pay for their public transport fares using mobile phones, debit or credit cards.
Myki cards are being phased out in favor of an account-based online system that allows commuters to use their devices such as smartphones or cards to pay for train, bus or tram tickets.
US-based Conduent Business Services will take over the system under a 15-year contract valued at US$1.7 billion.
Commuters in Melbourne can pay for their public transport fares using mobile phones, debit or credit cards, the Victorian Government has announced (stock image).
Testing will begin next year and there will be a two-year grace period before the new system rolls out across the state.
The system will still be called Myki, but commuters will no longer need to carry physical cards.
Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll praised the change, saying it would make life easier for commuters.
“This is a very important moment for Victoria and public transport,” he said Monday.
“We have had a card-based ticket system under Myki for 16 years.
“We will now enter the 21st century with account-based ticketing that is easier and more user-friendly via your credit card, smartphone and smartwatch.”
“This is a really steep change for Melbourne residents and also for Victorians.”
Myki cards lost popularity with some commuters due to their inability to deposit and withdraw using their bank cards or devices like other states and territories do.
Myki cards are being phased out in favor of an account-based online system that allows commuters to use their devices such as smartphones or cards to pay for train, bus or tram tickets (stock image).
The myki app is only available on Android devices.
Visitors to Melbourne must purchase and top up a Myki card.
Android phones have been able to access the system since 2019, but iPhones and credit cards cannot be used.
The Victorian government allocated $1 million in 2019 to try to integrate Apple technology into myki, but no solution was found.
Train commuters in Sydney, London and Singapore can hop on and off using their credit and debit cards, and Brisbane is rolling out similar technology.
