Avoid Myki for now, PTUA advises passengers

Myki scanner out of orderThe Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has criticised the government’s botched rollout of the new Myki ticketing system onto Melbourne’s trains only, and has recommended that passengers continue using Metcard for the moment.

“Most passengers won’t want the hassle of a flaky ticketing system, and will want to keep using Metcard until Myki works properly on trams and buses as well as trains”, PTUA President Daniel Bowen said.

The government today said that Myki was now valid for travel on trains only. Trams and buses are still experiencing problems with the new technology, despite the system having run on buses in regional cities for almost a year.

Mr Bowen said the decision will cause confusion for passengers, particularly those who decide to try the new cards and catch buses and trams as well as trains.

“This makes a mockery of our multi-modal fare system.

“The government should not have switched Myki on until it was fully working. The system is years late anyway — it would have been better to wait to have it operating properly on all modes”, concluded Mr Bowen.