Ticketless Travel Arrives for Melbourne Trams, Replacing Myki Cards

Melbourne commuters can now embrace a ticketless future on trams, as the city's public transport network fully integrates contactless payment options. Starting today, passengers can simply tap their credit card, phone, or smartwatch to pay their fares, marking a significant shift from the previous myki card system.

This move follows the recent launch of ticketless travel on Melbourne's trains earlier this month. Buses are slated to adopt the same technology next month, although the Victorian government has not yet specified an exact date for this rollout. Concession passengers, however, will need to wait until next year to access the new system, with a date yet to be announced.

The transition to a modern fare system has been fraught with challenges. A $1.7 billion contract awarded in 2023 to overhaul the myki system was plagued by significant delays and cost blowouts. Melbourne has lagged behind other major cities like Sydney and international hubs in enabling simple credit card payments for public transport.

Trials for the new system were initially planned for 2024 but were postponed, beginning a year later on only four bus routes in Wangaratta. Further delays occurred with trials on two train lines in March, which were then interrupted by a period of free public transport introduced in April and May due to soaring petrol prices. While over 700,000 tap-and-go trips have been recorded since early June, regional stations still relying on paper tickets will receive the technology later this year.

Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams noted that four out of five tap-and-go trips are currently made using a phone or smartwatch. However, the Public Transport Users Association has urged the government to implement a weekly tap-and-go cap equivalent to a weekly myki pass to prevent commuters from being overcharged. Opposition transport spokesman Matthew Guy criticized the rollout, stating it should have been completed a decade ago.

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From today, you can step off a train and straight onto a tram using the same phone, watch or bank card.