Paper tickets will soon be removed from New South Wales’ public transport system
Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has this week announced a date for paper tickets to be cut out of its public transport network entirely.
The state’s Opal card system will become the only means for commuters to access public transport starting August 1, according to TfNSW’s social media accounts.
Fares for Opal users are frozen until July 2017, but occasional commuters and travellers from outside of NSW will need to have an Opal card- which is free to acquire- to get around on public transport.
Although Opal fares will not increase until mid-2017, changes to the fare system mean some commuters will have cheaper trips if they require a transfer in their journey.
Users will receive discounts when they make a transfer in their journey, such as a mid-trip swap from train to bus, or light rail to ferry, from September 5.
Adults will get a $2 discount per transfer, while concession holders- including children, students, and pensioners- will receive a $1 discount.
Opal will still offer its 50 per cent discount after eight trips per week.
Despite the future of NSW’s public transport network being paperless, commuters may soon have an easier way to pay for their trips.
As Opal’s operating system is not yet outdated, TfNSW says it will be able to trial contactless payment for journeys on public transport in 2017.
The contactless payment system has been used in London since 2014 and is now used by around 800,000 people per day, Transport for London’s data shows.
The upcoming NSW trial has no official start date set, but it could provide Sydney commuters with an alternative to paper tickets if they leave their Opal cards at home.