Qld smart ticketing system missing from new Metro buses

Commuters on the $1.5 billion, state-of-the art Brisbane Metro bus service must continue to use Go Gards, with the ability to tap on and off with bank cards and phones not yet available.

Commuters on the $1.5 billion, state-of-the art Brisbane Metro can’t tap on and off with their bank cards or smartphones.

The brand new bendy buses are the latest victim in the bungled rollout of the state’s smart ticketing programs to replace Go Cards, with operator TransLink unable to give a definitive time of when the service will be operational.

The exclusion of the ability for riders to use bank cards, smart watches and phones was slammed by University of Southern Queensland marketing and consumer behaviour expert associate professor Park Thaichon who said it was silly to not include the smart ticketing system.

“The project is very expensive, and that is a very fundamental thing for them to have,” he said.

The Brisbane Metro is now in operation. Picture: Liam Kidston

“They should transfer some of this common technology into all of their new services, given that this Metro goes through UQ and some places where people are very technology-oriented.

“They expect this type of thing. The longer the bus has to wait for people to get in, the more energy we’ll be wasting.”

A TransLink spokesman said customer trials on the final three bus operators to be included on the smart ticketing system – Brisbane City Council, Clarks Logan Bus Services and Kinetic Gold Coast – were on track for completion over the next few months.

“The Brisbane City Council go-live will include all Brisbane Metro vehicles,” the spokesman said.

“Once complete, this milestone will mean Smart Ticketing is available for customers across the entire SEQ TransLink public transport network.”

The rollout has been significantly delayed – it was first promised to be delivered by 2022 – and Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg revealed last month that it would now cost taxpayers $60m more than expected.

Mr Mickelberg said the program would now have to run until December 2027 as delays to the program meant more time was needed to test the software.

The time extension is also needed to deliver a replacement to the Go Card — particularly for those with concessions like students and seniors — before the system can be retired.

The new ticketing system is already available to customers on all South East Queensland trains, Brisbane River and Southern Moreton Bay Island ferries, Gold Coast tram services, and 11 bus operators, covering the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Redlands areas and parts of Logan.

It’s understood bringing the technology to buses has been more complex due to the need for wireless systems, unlike the fixed systems installed on train and tram platforms.

Other problems without the rollout have been attributed to COVID-19 pandemic which saw international supply chain issues that led to shortages of products and resources.