Brisbane commuters are enjoying a new age of speed and convenience! Access to smart ticketing has recently been extended throughout the city’s public transport network. The city has now made its first official step to implementing its creative plan. Today’s travelers expect to pay with their credit card, smartphone, or smartwatch for every leg of their journey whether it’s on a bus, train, metro, or ferry. This transition marks the start of Go Cards’ end. A new, more advanced fare system will replace it in the near future.
The new smart ticketing system due to come online on Brisbane City Council buses and metro was. Today, commuters enjoy the convenience of paying for their commute using credit cards, smartphones, or smartwatches. This revolutionary development provides a tremendous boost to public transport accessibility across the entire region of south-east Queensland.
Transition from Go Cards
And as Brisbane finally moves past experiencing the days of Go Cards, they’ll have to get commuters on board for the ride through times without a card. For those that want to keep using their Go Cards, they’ll still be able to for now. Anjuna Singh, a spokesperson for the collaborative, delivered that thrilling news. The city will soon move to a more sophisticated token-based system.
"We will eventually move to a more modern token but there'll be plenty of notice for that," said Anjuna Singh.
Singh promised that if elected, he would create a new virtual “token of merit.” Commuters will be able to add and reload it instantly via Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, making for a truly easy experience.
Understanding the Smart Ticketing System
To not get charged the default fare, riders need to tap on and tap off with the same card or device. This is gospel for the smart ticketing system. Visitors need to be aware that they need to tap off. If they forget it or use a different payment card, they’ll pay a default fare of $2.50. This fare can be confirmed using the Translink Ticketing Assistant found on the Translink website.
"It's really important that you touch on and you touch off, and you do that with the same token," emphasized Anjuna Singh.
For one, commuters should expect to see a temporary authorization hold of $0 or 10 cents on their bank statements after tapping to ride. This comes on top of wanting to adopt a default fare-free policy. This fee will be removed in the next few days.
Contactless Future
The arrival of smart ticketing further cement’s Brisbane’s place as the Australasian public transport leader in going contactless. Cash payments on public transport are not coming back. Singh detailed how this new approach, adopted initially as an emergency measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, now shows to be advantageous to both safety and efficiency.
"That was something that changed during COVID and we've found that it's much safer for our bus drivers and it also increases the speed at which we can board people on," stated Anjuna Singh.
Brisbane is taking a headlong dive into new technology within its electric public transport infrastructure. Commuters will enjoy easier, quicker, more reliable travel experiences as a direct result.
