Transport Chris Steel: “I accept responsibility for the issues … and also the fixes.” Photo: Ian Bushnell.
ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel has refused to apologise for the bungled MyWay+ rollout after being censured in the Legislative Assembly over a damning committee report tabled today (30 October).
The Greens moved the censure motion, which was supported by the Canberra Liberals and the two Independents.
The report of the inquiry into the procurement and delivery of MyWay+ found that the public transport digital ticketing project was not ready to roll out on 27 November a year ago, was too large and complex, and highlighted poor risk management and project management practices.
It said the community testing was so rushed and haphazard as to be meaningless, and the ACT Government and Transport Canberra officials ignored multiple warnings that the new system was not ready.
“The decision to launch anyway on that date was clearly flawed,” the report said, saying the government had broken the trust of public transport users.
It found that an inability to meet legal requirements for accessibility also meant the launch should not have proceeded, and MyWay+ had failed people living with disabilities.
The inquiry found there was a “failure of management” and that there were heavy political undertones in persisting with the launch date.
The report said MyWay+ was marked by a lack of appropriate risk and project management, which continued a pattern seen in large ACT Government digital projects.
It recommended a review of risk management practices within the MyWay+ project and that the government launch an urgent program of project management reform across directorates.
The MyWay+ rollout was plagued with bugs. Photo: PTCBR.
Mr Steel acknowledged that the new system’s bugs and lack of promised features had impacted passengers’ experience of public transport, but he would not apologise nor would he contemplate resigning.
“I accept responsibility for the issues experienced with the MyWay+ system since its launch, and also the fixes that have been put in place to address the issues immediately after launch and the continued improvements that we’ve been making with the contractor NEC to make sure the system provides a better user experience,” he said.
Mr Steel said a longer period of user testing before the launch might have prevented some of the issues, but other problems could only have become apparent post-launch.
He insisted that most issues had been resolved quickly, that the system was functional, particularly for payment by credit and debit cards, and that it would be continuously improved and updated over the course of the $64 million, 10-year contract.
“It’s unfortunate that the contractor took so long to deliver some of those accessibility improvements, but they are being made, and with those improvements and some of the other feedback, we think we will have a system that will operate effectively for Canberra’s public transport network,” Mr Steel said.
He said the government could pursue damages under the NEC contract if necessary, but was committed to working with the company to deliver what was expected.
The report also found insufficient transparency into the cost of MyWay+, including the revenue lost due to ongoing problems.
Mr Steel said the government would continue to monitor fare revenue, but there were a number of buses due to be retired soon that were not fitted with the system hardware and were not collecting fares.
He indicated the troublesome QR code was on borrowed time, with alternatives being looked at, such as digital tokens, in effect a digital version of the MyWay+ card to be used on passenger apps.
On whether the public service had the capacity to manage such a project, Mr Steel said the new digital agency, Digital Canberra, would support directorates in delivering complex ICT projects in the future.
“A range of recommendations have been made about project management and risk management by the committee, and those will be taken into account and also implemented by the new digital agency,” he said.
“It makes sense to have a centralised capability that can bring the expertise together and support directorates with what they need in terms of that digital capability.”
Asked whether there had been a shake-up at Transport Canberra since the rollout, Mr Steel said he would not blame public servants for their role in delivering the project.
Opposition Leader Leanne Castley: No consequence for the minister. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Opposition Leader Leanne Castley, who moved the original motion to set up the inquiry, said Mr Steel was not being held to account for his failures.
“There have been failures every step of the way and one man is ultimately responsible: the Minister for Transport,” Ms Castley said.
“Has there been any internal accountability of the minister by the government? Has the minister been subject to any form of adverse action by the Chief Minister or his colleagues? Remarkably, it seems the answer is no.”
Ms Castley also criticised Chief Minister Andrew Barr for his failure to hold to account a minister now responsible for three high-profile, high-cost scandals: the $77 million HRIMS failure, the CIT corruption scandal, and the MyWay+ fiasco.
ACT Greens transport spokesperson Andrew Braddock, who moved the censure motion, said the buck should stop with Mr Steel.
“While the report speaks to failures at many levels, it is clear that these issues were raised with the minister on multiple occasions, and he failed to address them appropriately,” he said.
Independent Thomas Emerson said the report was unusually strong for a multi-party committee inquiry, and Mr Steel needed to be held accountable.
“While public servants are tasked with implementing government policy and providing advice to the Executive, the ultimate responsibility for the MyWay+ failures lies with the minister,” he said.
Mr Emerson said that earlier this year, the ACT Government chose not to accept a committee recommendation to “strengthen and clarify the Ministerial Code of Conduct to ensure that ministers actively seek to prevent, and are held accountable for, any significant mismanagement within their portfolio”.
“It’s time for the government to reconsider that position,” he said.
Public Transport Association of Canberra chair Amy Jelacic called on the government to commit to implementing the report’s recommendations in full.
This included a call for project management reform focused on accessibility compliance and on restoring key features, such as showing a passenger’s card balance on the validator screen.
“PTCBR commends the authors of the report on a thorough document that sets out a complex issue in a fair and impactful way – and sets a clear path for positive change to ensure the ACT Government can successfully deliver major projects in the future,” Dr Jelacic said.
“PTCBR will be watching closely to ensure this report leads to timely further improvements to the MyWay+ system, and more broadly, that it leads to meaningful change at Transport Canberra.”
