Transport for New South Wales will expand the open payment trial to allow the use of Visa and American Express cards across the entire Sydney ferry and light rail network.
NSW Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance, said, “In New South Wales (NSW), we know transport is no longer just about infrastructure but also about embracing technology to provide the best services possible for our customers.
“The integration of contactless transport payments into the Opal ticketing system makes the purchasing of one-off fares quick, easy and seamless, providing choice and convenience to customers.”
More than 15,000 passengers have used their Mastercard to tap on and pay for travel across Sydney Harbour since the trial began on the Manly Ferry service in July 2017.
With this contactless trial extension, customers will now also be able to use American Express and Visa cards to pay for their travel.
Contactless promises to bring major benefits for both consumers and operators, and the trial has demonstrated that the technology Cubic pioneered with Transport for London can be adapted to fit Australia’s unique environmental and regulatory conditions. Across London, more than 2.1 million journeys are now made using contactless on its bus, Tube and rail services every day.
Open payment will not replace Opal, which is now used by nearly 14 million people a week but will provide freedom of choice when it comes to paying for travel.
