Transport for NSW has announced an important milestone, with its networks notching up 30 million cashless journeys since the first trial back in 2017.
Acting Minister for Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said millions of commuters took advantage of contactless payments when catching trains, trams, buses and ferries across the Opal network.
“The NSW Government is powering ahead with more innovative payment options for those using our Opal network as people continue to move away from cash, and even more recently cards,” Mr Toole said.
“We know digital wallets are becoming more common, so being able to pay a fare with a mobile phone or smart watch is just another added convenience for commuters,” he said.
“Rolling out contactless payments is an Australian-first innovation and is one of the biggest advancements in ticketing technology in generations, with around 1.5 million journeys paid for without an Opal card in an average week.”
Mr Toole said that while new payment options were growing in popularity among commuters, there was still demand for pre-loaded Opal cards.
He said Transport for NSW was working to create more digital products, including the digital Opal card scheduled to roll out in a trial phase this year.
“This follows the activation of contactless payments on all public transport modes on the Opal network, and introducing the same fare and travel benefits of an Adult Opal card last year,” Mr Toole said.
