THE State Government have urged patience around a Wangaratta public transport trial as local MPs criticised the “pointless” exercise.
Nationals MPs Annabelle Cleeland and Tim McCurdy have labelled the trial a “gimmick” as they took aim at the proposed upgrades.
The trial began on December 2 last year as part of the State Government's proposed $1.7 billion upgrade of Victoria’s public transport ticketing system.
The 15-year contract to update the system was won by Conduent Transportation in mid-2023 and included the introduction of new technology to allow passengers to tap on with credit cards, phones and smart watches.
Wangaratta was chosen to trial tap-and-go payments due to its size and its bus operations with four local bus lines installed with the new technology.
Latest Stories
The trial is open to full-fare paying passengers and taking part in the trial is not compulsory.
If preferred, passengers can continue to pay for their travel with cash as normal.
Mr McCurdy, said Victoria’s public transport system was an embarrassment compared to its domestic and overseas counterparts.
“Wangaratta being home to a gimmicky trial for just four bus lines fails to cover up the embarrassing truth that our entire state’s public transport system is in need of fixing,” he said.
Euroa MP Ms Cleeland said with reports emerging that parts of the consortium overseeing the upgrade have walked away with timelines not being met, the upgrade was already in chaos.
“While pointless trials are being conducted in our regional towns, most commuters in my region are still unable to even use a Myki card to travel,” she said.
A State Government Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said this was a complex technology project that requires extensive technical and customer testing, and they’re ensuring they get it right.
“We are investing in new readers and technology to improve our ticketing system for the long term - giving passengers more options,” they said.
The tap-and-go trial is expected to end in May.
