The Opal Card !

Sydney's "Opal Card " method of paying for public transport fares is about to celebrate it's third anniversary and from January 1 the old paper ticket system will finally cease.  For over a decade the previous state government wasted millions trying to construct a similar venture - which ended in abject failure.   The success of Opal can be directly attributed to the planning ability of then Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, who is now the state Treasurer.

Introduction of the card was on a "slow and steady " basis.   First, the rail network and when that was complete it's extension to the bus fleet, and there have been hic cups along the way.  The Opal card requires bus  riders to "tap on "and "tap off " to record the length of their journey and the consequent fare. Passengers who either forgot to tap off - or who encountered a faulty meter terminal - were charged the entire route journey and had to maker application for a refund.   The fact that passengers can disembark via the rear door exacerbated that problem.

The system for topping up the balance on Opal cards received criticism.  Initially, this was not available at rail stations and commuters needed to make their payments at the newsagency network, which in many cases was far removed from station proximity.  Facilities were eventually provided at stations, but at present this is only available at 102 of the 311 stations that  serve the Sydney rail system.

The government is keen to coerce passengers to adopt the automatic top up method which ensures that a minimum balance is held in their Opal account by direct injection from their bank account. This is the required system that serves the toll road system, and without that a motorist can not obtain the necessary "reader " to automatically debit tolls.  Shortage of top up points was probably a deliberate ploy to enhance the use of the automatic system.

Opal is now accepted at most non government private bus networks. It is a simple matter for the computer system to record where Opal is used and what charge to apply for the journey length at the rate the operator charges, and automatically credit that fare to the private operators account.  It's use now extends far outside the Sydney basin and includes both Wollongong and Newcastle and most country districts.  It has become the universal method of paying transport fares.

Negotiations are under way to extend Opal to the taxi network.  That would have the advantage of not requiring drivers to have change of a fifty dollar note and thus reducing the chance of robbery and the fare would need a positive response to the card when booking the journey, eliminating the " Do a runner "  problem of unpaid fares at destination end.   It would also serve to identify the passenger in the event of assault on the driver or damage to the cab.

The last remaining conundrum for Opal organizers is to dove tail mixed journeys to achieve a common fare, and at present this has not been achieved.   Where a passenger travels a typical twenty-five kilometre journey involving several buses and the fare totals $ 4.70, that same journey involving an interchange of bus and train will cost $ 7.70.

It seems that the problem is identifying the intended start and end of what to the passenger is an intended journey when this will not be abundantly clear to the computer managing the system.  No doubt something that the boffins will eventually solve !