🚧 This article may be subject to revision when further information becomes available
LAST UPDATE: 7 September 2024
In May 2023, the ACT Government entered into a contract with NEC Australia to implement and maintain a new Public Transport ticketing and real time passenger system.
ACT Bus has reviewed the contract and other publicly available information to provide this guide to how the new system will operate. (This article is mostly based on our interpretation of the published contract and is subject to confirmation and amendment. Precise information will be available from Transport Canberra when the system is ready for use. This article will be updated as further details are known.)
What is being changed?
The current ‘MyWay’ fare payment system (from Flowbird – formerly Parkeon/Downer EDI) and the ‘NXTBUS’ real time passenger information system (from Trapeze) are being replaced with an account-based ticketing and integrated real-time passenger information system, which will be known as ‘MyWay+‘.
How will I be able to pay for my Transport Fare?
Every bus and tram platform will be equipped with new card and ticket validators. Passengers are required to verify their fare by:
- using the contactless card reader –
- with a Transit Card (“MyWay+ card”)
- with a credit/debit card – both physical cards and virtual cards on a mobile phone (e.g. Apple Pay or Google Wallet) or smartwatch will be accepted
- using the barcode scanner (located on the base of the ticket validator) to read a QR code –
- displayed on the MyWay+ mobile phone app
- printed on a paper ticket issued by a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM)
- printed on a pre-purchased ticket issued over the internet (known as a “print-at-home” ticket)
Can I just show my ticket to the driver?
No. All ticket types will need to be tapped-on or scanned by the ticket validators fitted to buses or on the tram platforms. This includes paper tickets purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine – even when travelling on the tram.
What is an account-based ticket system and how does it differ from MyWay?
MyWay+ will be an account-based ticketing system. Like a bank account or pre-paid mobile phone, your balance and transactions are centrally stored and accessed every time you tap on and tap off. This type of system requires every bus and tram platform to have an active internet data connection to enable access to the accounts.
If using a MyWay+ card or the MyWay+ app, you will be required to have sufficient funds in your account and the fare will be deducted from that account.
However, if you tap on with a credit/debit card, the fare payment will be charged to the card account provided there is available credit. After your initial tap-on for the day, the system will store all your travel details and charge a single transaction to your account at the end of the day.
The current MyWay system operates as a “stored value smartcard” in which the available balance and card concession type are stored on a microchip in the card. This allows the system to calculate and deduct fares on the spot without needing a data connection. The disadvantage of this type of system is that account top-ups and other adjustments have to be written on to the card after they are processed – if the top-up is performed by a TVM or an agent, the card is updated straight away; but when top-ups are performed over the internet, the transaction has to go through several steps (which take several days) before it is finally applied to a MyWay card.
Can I keep using my old MyWay card?
No – current MyWay cards will not be accepted by the new system. A new MyWay+ card will be available, but you will also have the ability to use a credit/debit card (and virtual cards on mobile phones and smartwatches), or the MyWay+ app to tap on to buses and trams.
Can I save a MyWay+ card as a Transit Pass in Google Wallet?
No, but you will be able to tap on and off using Google Wallet to access a credit or debit card saved to your phone.
How do I top-up my MyWay+ card account?
- through retailers connected to the ePay network (which includes Coles, Woolworths, Australia Post, 7-Eleven, EG, Ampol and many other retailers such as newsagents, convenience stores and some IGA supermarkets) – extent of retailers to be confirmed
- by using an Ticket Vending Machine at tram platforms and selected bus stations
- online through the MyWay+ website or app (this might not be available for unregistered cards)
- autoload from a nominated credit card or direct debit – this option will not be available for unregistered cards
Will the new MyWay+ cards expire?
Current MyWay cards expire after 2 years without use. There is no information on whether the new cards will expire or what will occur with inactive accounts.
Do I need to register an account to in order to use MyWay+ ?
You will be able to use a MyWay+ card without having to register it. However unregistered cards cannot be blocked in the event of loss and cannot be used for concession fares. Cards without a registered MyWay+ account will also not be able to transfer any card balances from an old MyWay card.
You will also be able to pay using a credit/debit card without registering for a MyWay+ account, but full adult fares will be charged.
How will account registration be managed?
The MyWay+ account will be incorporated into the existing ACT Digital Account infrastructure, which is used by Access Canberra, Domestic Animal Services and ACT Housing.
Can I register a single account for all members of my family?
Yes – you will be able to create a master account which can be accessed by multiple MyWay+ cards. This will allow school children (for instance) to travel while accessing a single family account.
I am entitled to a concession fare: can I use my credit/debit card?
Concession fares are available with credit/debit card only if a MyWay+ account has been registered. Details of your concession (e.g. Seniors Card) must be set up in the account as well as the credit/debit card to be used.
The exact method for doing this will need to confirmed, however the contract does mention that MyWay+ agents (such as newsagents) will play a role in verifying concession cards.
If I use my credit card, will the card details be safe?
The contract requires that MyWay+ complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and that all data is encrypted with ASD-approved cryptographic protocols.
Will there be any additional fees for paying by credit card?
As is currently the case with tickets purchased through a Ticket Vending Machine, tapping on with a credit card will not attract any additional processing fee. Nor will any fees apply to account top-ups performed online or through a ticket vending machine.
Can I pay by cash?
The new system is designed to be cashless. You will not be able to purchase any tickets from bus drivers, nor will you be able to purchase tickets from a Ticket Vending Machine with cash (to be confirmed). Cash top ups to a MyWay+ account can still be made at retailers and agents.
If I am visiting Canberra, how do I pay for a bus fare without a MyWay+ card?
Without a MyWay+ card, the easiest way to pay is to tap on with your contactless credit or debit card. Or you can create a MyWay+ account which will allow you to tap on by scanning a QR code generated by the MyWay+ app.
You will also be able purchase “print-at-home” single-use tickets in advance, although the exact method for doing so is not yet known.
How can I purchase paper tickets?
Paper tickets can be purchased from the Ticket Vending Machines at tram stops, the Airport and many bus stations.
Will the system be compatible with Queanbeyan buses, Opal or Myki?
At this stage, the MyWay+ fare system is for Transport Canberra services only. The system could be later added to the Queanbeyan and Yass bus services (CDC Canberra), but this will require the hardware to be installed on their buses. There are no known plans for this to occur.
While MyWay+ cards cannot be used interstate, credit/debit card payment systems are already available on transport services in many regions – including CDC buses in Queanbeyan and across the Opal network in NSW. And for those services which don’t currently accept credit/debit cards (such as PTV in Melbourne), they are expected in implement such systems in the future.
Will I still need to tap off?
Yes. ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel has referred to “tapping off” in Media Releases and elsewhere when discussing the new system. Tapping off will enable the system to monitor passenger levels on board buses – and it will also provide data to Transport Canberra about passenger journeys.
Whether the new system will impose a “default fare” for not tapping off is not known.
Will the fares be the same?
The 2024/25 ACT Budget announced fares will increase from January 2025. Otherwise, there is no information to suggest that fares will be altered once MyWay+ commences.
However, an account-based ticketing system does allow more fare options than those possible with a smartcard. One likely option is that the current monthly “trip cap” will be replaced by a monthly “fare cap” based on the value of the fares, rather than the number of journeys. It is also technically possible in the future to reintroduce time-based fare caps such as the “off peak daily” fare which existed prior to MyWay; other time-based fare caps such as “weekly”, “school term” and “yearly” would also be possible, although less likely.
Will there be any additional Ticket Vending Machines?
At this stage, no. The existing 26 Ticket Vending Machines will be modified to support the new system but no additional machines are included in the contract.
How will tickets be checked?
Ticket Inspectors and Transport Officers will be issued with hand-held devices which can scan MyWay+ cards, credit/debit cards, paper tickets and codes from the MyWay+ app. The device will display whether the inspected card, ticket or app QR code has been correctly validated and also show the concession status and account balance (where applicable).
Will there be a new app and what will it do?
There will be a MyWay+ app for Android and iPhones. This app will provide journey planning and real time tracking of buses and trams (replacing the NXTBUS website). It will also offer account and card management functions including: account top-ups, transaction history and a function for tapping on and off using a QR code.
Will the SMS bus tracking be available in MyWay+?
No. MyWay+ will incorporate real-time bus tracking in the new MyWay+ app and journey planner, but the SMS service will be discontinued. Real-time information will continue to be available to third party apps and is also expected to be available in Google Transit once MyWay+ commences.
How will the transition to MyWay+ be managed?
Unlike the roll-out of MyWay in 2011, there won’t be a dual ticketing system during the implementation of the new system. Instead, the existing MyWay ticket system will be deactivated commencing 20 September 2024 and public transport will be fare-free for all passengers while MyWay+ is installed. Installation is estimated to take 6 weeks, with the new system expected to be ready in November 2024.
The NXTBUS real-time bus tracking will also be decommissioned on 20 September.
Commencing from May 2024, there will be four MyWay+ demonstration buses that will operate on the TC bus network to raise community awareness of the new system. These buses will only be equipped with the MyWay+ system and will operate on regular route services but will be fare-free (since they cannot accept old MyWay cards).
What will happen to the balance on my MyWay card?
Registered MyWay card holders will be able to request their remaining balance be transferred to their new MyWay+ account or for the balance to be refunded. No transaction fees will apply for this request.
Passengers without a registered MyWay account will not be able to access any remaining balance – they should either use up the balance of the current MyWay card or register their MyWay card before the old system is removed.
MyWay+ accounts will be registered via the ACT Digital Account infrastructure. Exact details of how or when to set up an account are not yet known.
How will Seniors Cards be changed to the new system?
The current combined Seniors Card/MyWay cards will not be re-issued or replaced. The Seniors Card aspect will remain active, but the MyWay smartcard will no longer be functional.
Seniors Card holders will be able to access the system using the same options as other passengers. New MyWay+ cards will be able to be linked to a Seniors Card entitlement (including free travel for ACT residents over 70 years); a credit/debit card or the MyWay+ app can also be used to access a Seniors Card fare.
Seniors Card holders will be able to obtain a new MyWay+ travel card free of charge from MyWay+ retailers once the transition period commences. (Date when new cards will be available is not yet known.)
Will Seniors need to re-apply for Opal concession cards?
No – the ACT Seniors Card will remain active so any concessions linked to it will remain unaffected. It is only the MyWay smartcard which will no longer be able to be used.
How will the 3G shutdown affect the implementation?
The changeover to MyWay+ is scheduled to commence in September 2024, with the Optus 3G network shut down now postponed until October 2024.
Despite reports to the contrary, the MyWay ticketing system is able to collect fares without a 3G mobile network. However, some aspects of the system (such as ticket agents) may be utilising the 3G network to process top ups and card updates. Ticket vending machines at tram stops and bus stations are believed to be using either 4G mobile or fixed line data networks.
On the other hand, the NXTBUS real-time location system does use the Optus 3G network to send bus location data. It is believed that NXTBUS will be fully shutdown on 20 September 2024, prior to the 3G switch-off.
When will the new system be implemented?
User testing of the new system, including the web portal and mobile app will commence on 20 September 2024.
Full implementation of MyWay+ is expected to be completed by November 2024.
We have no information about when the MyWay+ app or website will be activated to enable new accounts to be set up.
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This page was last updated on 7 September 2024
