Sydney Opal card users have now reached one million as 500 more buses are live with the technology
One million Opal cards have now been issued in New South Wales as around 500 buses go live with Opal in the Inner West and South West of Sydney.
Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian says customers are benefitting from Opal’s daily travel caps and weekly travel rewards, with 12 million free trips already taken across the transport network.
“With free travel after eight Opal journeys a week, thousands more customers are choosing to leave their car at home on weekends and catch public transport – helping to reduce congestion on our roads,” she says.
Opal is now rolling out to even more buses – 285 buses in the Inner West and 200 buses in South West Sydney – taking the total number of Opal buses to 3,860.
The latest bus rollout in the Inner West covers more than 40 million annual customer journeys across 75 suburbs including Balmain, Rozelle, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Annandale, Dulwich Hill, Earlwood, Marrickville, Newtown and Redfern.
In the South West the rollout covers 200 buses carrying 4.85 million annual customer journeys a year in Campbelltown, Camden, Narellan, Menangle, Mount Annan, Catherine Field, Oakdale, Eschol Park, Leumeah, Liverpool, Hoxton Park, Bringelly, Narellan, Campbelltown, Minto and Casula.
Berejiklian expects more customers to sign up to Opal as the rollout continues on buses.
“Opal is already available on all suburban and intercity trains, all Sydney Ferries and will be on all 5,000 buses by the end of the year, with light rail to follow in early 2015,” she says.
“When the Opal rollout is complete, it’s the only card you’ll need to travel on any type of transport.”