Batch of myki cards must be ‘hovered’ above readers rather than touched in fresh system bungle

If you have a new myki card you may have noticed it doesn’t scan when you touch on. A batch of cards are failing to work as advertised and the Allan government has quietly fessed up to the problem.

The Allan government has admitted that a batch of myki cards in use across the network are failing to work as advertised, causing bottlenecks at myki gates and confusion for commuters.

Despite a widespread marketing campaign instructing commuters to “touch on” with their myki before using public transport, a cluster of the plastic cards are failing to scan when pressed to electronic readers.

Instead, these cards need to be “hovered” above readers at myki gates before giving commuters the green light.

The change has resulted in pileups at myki readers as travellers were met with error warnings and refused entry through gates, while others ditched their $6 myki cards believing they were faulty — only to buy another with the same issue.

The Herald Sun can reveal the Allan government was aware a “small batch” of its cards performed best when hovered — but never communicated the “touch on” system change to commuters.

Commuters are finding they need to ‘hover’ not ‘touch’ on with some myki cards. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

In fact, official public transport communications played over speakers at stations and plastered above seats on trams, trains and buses still inform customers to “touch” their cards before travel.

“If you’re using a myki card, touch your myki to the centre of the reader. Hold still and listen for the beep,” the PTV website states.

The government confirmed the newest variant of the myki had “greater operating distance to the reader”, claiming this change allowed for improved transaction speed compared to older cards.

“The newest batch of myki cards can be both touched or hovered, centrally over the reader to initiate a successful tap on/off,” a Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said.

The state government failed to communicate the changes to commuters. Picture: Paul Jeffers

However, ticketing inspectors and customer service staff said they had been well aware some cards needed to be hovered and didn’t work to touch, and have been directing commuters to scan their cards differently at the gates “for years”.

Some speculated the technology had changed during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow for safe, touch-free travel, while others thought the newer myki cards were just “a bit cheap”.

The Department said passengers could get an on-the-spot replacement at premium stations in Melbourne, staffed V/Line stations in the myki boundary or the PTV hub if they were “experiencing issues” with their card.

It comes after a Sunday Herald Sun investigation last week revealed Victoria’s $1.7bn public transport upgrade is in crisis after one of the companies working on the lucrative deal walked away from the contract.

The government has refused to commit to a date by which commuters will be able to touch on — or should we say hover on — with their credit card and smart phones.

In another inconvenience, commuters said they still had to press their newer myki cards to older readers on buses and trams even though they don’t scan that way at train stations.

But the state government said newer cards had been tested for both tap and hover, on all versions of bus, tram and train readers, including gate and pedestal readers.

PSA: New MYKI cards now work in the opposite way
byu/random3068 inmelbourne

Commuters took to Reddit this week to share their frustration after purchasing new $6 cards believing their mykis were “bung” when they wouldn’t touch on.

“(A ticketing inspector) said that the new cards have a new chip that means you just need to hover the card over the reader rather than touch the card,” one said.

“So they need to update their slogan to ‘Don’t forget to hover on and hover off”,” another said.

“Evidently they don’t care enough to educate people,” another wrote.

It is understood the newer myki card variants have a glossier white back, compared to a matte finish on older cards.

The public transport system uses Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RDIF), which allows travel data to be exchanged between validators and cards.

The Department of Transport has been contacted for further details on the myki scan change, and asked to confirm how many cards are impacted.

Originally published as Batch of myki cards must be ‘hovered’ above readers rather than touched in fresh system bungle