Speaking to the media on Thursday 29 December, Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, admitted that myki is not up to global standards.
“The government wants to enhance travellers’ and public transport users’ experiences,” Pallas said. “We’d have to say that [myki is] not the world’s best practice at the moment. We need to be alive to what more we can do and that’s why we’re having the engagement with stakeholders.”
The myki tap and pay system, which was rolled out more than a decade ago behind schedule and with a budget blowout of $500 million, has consistently been the ire of many a Melburnian, Victorian and tourist visiting our great city.
Although certain issues and problems have been rectified over the years, the system relying on 3G network now lags behind the global standard of other cities, including Sydney. The current global standard sees commuters being able to touch on the public transport system of their city with credit cards, and many being able to use their phones no matter the operating system.
However, Tim Pallas would not say if the beleaguered transport system would be scraped or given a much-needed upgrade. What we do know is that the contract, which was awarded once again to NTT Data in 2017, is coming to an end in November of 2023.
In other words, it’s time to start thinking about the future of Melbourne’s transport system. And, that just might mean saying goodbye to myki, which won’t be hard to say. Some of us are actually looking forward to it.
Or, it means myki is going to get a massive and much-needed revamp under a new contract. Either way, we’re looking for improvements.