Plans afoot to get popular mobile myki app to iPhones
Victorians are signing up to touch on and off with their smartphones at a rate of about 1000 per day since mobile myki was rolled out and now the Andrews Government is pushing to get the app added to iPhones and other devices.
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Almost 100,000 Victorians have started paying for public transport with their phones over the two months since mobile myki was rolled out across the state.
New figures show people are signing up to touch on and touch off with their smartphone at a rate of about 1000 per day.
In the first day of being launched, nearly 11,000 people signed up for the app.
But mobile myki is still only available on Android phones and the Andrews Government has committed $1 million to speed up the process of bringing the service to the iPhone and other popular devices.
More than 57.8 per cent of passengers using the technology travel by train, well ahead of the number of users on trams, metropolitan buses and regional public transport.
Commuters caught out with flat batteries can be fined for not having a valid ticket and $350,000 is being spent to install 160 charging stations Richmond, South Yarra, North Melbourne and City Loop stations.
Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne said there was more work to be done to make the state’s transport network more passenger friendly.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to mobile myki in just over two months and we’re getting on with the development and technical testing needed to make this technology available for people with other smartphones,” she said.
“Mobile myki is another example of how we are building a modern, smarter and reliable public transport network for all Victorians.”
Passengers aged between 25 and 34 make up almost a third of total users for the new payment system followed closely by people aged between 35 and 44.
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The app on Android Google Pay system allows commuters to top up their account instantly rather than searching for a top-up machine and works with current myki infrastructure.
It was introduced in March after a successful trial of 4000 users, with most participants writing that they would recommend the system to other travellers.
Public Transport Victoria has not yet said whether commuters could one day use their contactless credit cards to travel but authorities are believed to be open to the idea.