Opal card costing ratepayers $190m as commuters get a free ride and drivers arrive even later

BREAKDOWNS in 15,000 Opal card readers on buses, trains and ferries has added to the NSW Government losing close to $190 million in public transport fares.

BREAKDOWNS in 15,000 Opal card readers on buses, trains and ferries has added to the NSW Government losing close to $190 million in public transport fares.

The failures on the electronic ticketing card system as well as Opal passengers taking advantage of close to 75 million free trips, has led to ticket revenues slumping by 3 per cent last financial year.

In a report tabled in parliament today, the NSW Auditor General’s office has found about 25 per cent of all Opal journeys are free because passengers do not have to pay after making eight paid journeys in one week.

After the first eight trips in one week on an Opal Card the rest are free. Source: Opal.com

Confirmation of the Opal reader breakdowns — with 53 per cent of the problems occurring on buses — back claims by the Rail Tram and Bus Union of recurrent problems with the smartcard.

The Daily Telegraph has previously reported widespread malfunctions of Opal ticket machines on State Transit buses were costing the government tens of millions of dollars with the card readers breaking down on a daily basis.

The Telegraph revealed that commuter bus services across Western Sydney were blighted by almost daily failures of the Opal system, six months after the smartcard was fully rolled out on bus fleets.

Some bus passengers are forgetting to tap-off and are returning to the bus and causing a crush. Railway St Bus Stops, Chatswood.

Acting auditor Tony Whitfield found that the Opal electronic ticketing led to a drop in public transport revenue despite fare and patronage increases.

Close to 75 million Opal journeys were free, with a value of $189 million.

Nearly 50 per cent of all ferry journeys using Opal were free.

There were 134,000 Opal cards with a negative value totalling $427,000 at 30 June, 2015.

“Transport for NSW attributes the overall decrease in revenue mainly to the introduction of Opal and associated factors,” the report said.

Malfunctions are another problem and when you can clock up a deficit like this is there any wonder the negative value totals $427,000? Picture: Supplied

Transport for NSW told Mr Whitfield it could not estimate the value of revenue lost due to the breakdowns.

The report also found that peak hour speeds on Sydney’s congested roads and motorways have dipped to as low as 35km/h and that the downward travel time spiral comes as the NSW Government recorded a $5.3 billion road maintenance backlog.

The report also found that peak hour speeds on Sydney’s congested roads and motorways have dipped to as low as 35km/h.

Mr Whitfield was also critical of the number of late running buses across Sydney and the fact transport authorities do not have target measures for crowding on buses across the state.

The report found that State Transit buses had not met on-time running targets in any of its four metropolitan regions for the past three years.

Opposition transport spokesman Ryan Park said the report shows that Sydney is slowing down.

“More buses are running late, commuters are spending a greater amount of their day in cars and now it is revealed that the Opal Card system is breaking down at a rate of 30 machines per week,” Mr Park said.

“The Government urgently needs to focus on getting the basics right and getting the city moving again”

Other findings include:

-Intercity trains did not meet punctuality targets

-Only 30 per cent of afternoon peak intercity services operated on time

-On-time running on private bus fleets and Harbour ferries is above targets

-The Wynyard Walk tunnel connecting the CBD with Barangaroo will be opened six months late due to construction delays

-The cost of the new Intercity rail fleet has increased by $1.1 billion to $3.9 billion

-Rail passenger injuries increased by 19 per cent to 1,282