There are fears Melbourne’s public transport system is falling behind other Australian cities, where commuters can pay for public transport by tapping their card or smart-phone. The opposition is concerned Victoria’s long- awaited upgrade is headed for costly delays following reports of contractual disputes.
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00:00Tapping out of an outdated system to get on board with a more modern way to ride.
00:09This technology is well overdue.
00:11But the opposition is concerned it's not on its way any time soon.
00:15This contract of $1.7 billion will cost a lot more than that and it will take a lot
00:20longer than we were told last year.
00:23It follows reports of a rift between the government and a conduit, the US company awarded the
00:28$1.7 billion Myki upgrade contract.
00:32The upgrade would allow passengers to pay for fares by tapping on with their mobile
00:36phone or credit card, with a trial slated for the end of the year.
00:41But nine newspapers claim there's a contractual standoff over costs and timelines.
00:47Conduit referred inquiries to the government, which insists the project's on track.
00:52We're working closely with the company and that work is going on right now with a plan
00:57to have a small regional trial underway by the end of the year.
01:01The Premier wouldn't say where or when, neither did the department when the ABC asked several
01:07times over the past year.
01:09This is a really complex technology project, putting next generation technology on one
01:17of the world's most complex public transport systems.
01:20Yes, it's a big network, but then plenty of other cities have big networks too.
01:24New York and London have managed the transition, so did Sydney back in 2018.
01:29Now Brisbane and Adelaide are rolling it out.
01:32Public transport advocates are concerned Melbourne is being left behind.
01:38The state does have a history of problematic public transport ticketing.
01:43Myki was delivered three years late, millions of dollars over budget.
01:48And a continuing source of embarrassment and frustration for the state government.
01:5315 years on, you would really hope that they get this one right.