Archive, Industry News

Myki contract renewed

NTT Data has been awarded the Myki contract once again for the next seven years

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) this week announced the successful candidate for the Myki operation contract, NTT Data.

The contract, which runs for seven years, ensures NTT will be in charge of continuing to operate the Myki system as it has done since the card’s conception.

NTT was one of three applicants considered for the $700 million contract, the other two being Accenture Australia and Cubic Transportation Systems.

Cubic, which had a Melbourne team working on the tender since 2015, is the company which designed Sydney’s Opal card, Brisbane’s Go, and the particularly successful Oyster cards in London.

Despite Cubic’s industry achievements, PTV says NTT is the best option for Myki’s future.

A statement on PTV’s website says: “The new contract includes greater commercial liability on the operator rather than the Victorian Government,” which could mean an improvement in Myki’s system due to risks NTT Data now faces.

The benefits of this new dynamic have been echoed by Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan.

“It provides stronger performance requirements and will deliver better value for money by ensuring any unanticipated costs are borne by the operator – not taxpayers,” Allan says.

PTV says Myki will continue to be upgraded as it has been in previous months, with better card readers and ‘Myki QT’, the quick top-up system which utilises contactless technology to add credit to Myki cards.

There is still public scepticism about the Myki system, as past hiccups have swayed confidence in its effectiveness.

A June 2015 report by Victorian Auditor-General John Doyle describes the issues with Myki.

“I found that the myki system has experienced significant delays in implementation and cost increases, largely as a result of deficiencies in the original governance, project planning and contractual arrangements,” Doyle says.

“This has resulted in a poor outcome for Victoria’s public transport system and users, which has compromised achievement of myki’s original business case objectives and related benefits.”

PTV hopes the re-worked contract will place more emphasis on innovative and effective running of the Myki network.

Send this to a friend