MyWay+ ticket vending machines are (finally) coming to Canberra

Bus users will soon be able to purchase MyWay+ tickets at major public transport hubs, with ticket vending machines scheduled to be installed starting this Monday (May 5).

The machines were meant to be installed at light rail stops, major bus interchanges and Canberra Airport by early February.

Transport Canberra and City Services executive branch manager Mark White confirmed at an extra sitting of a committee inquiry into the embattled system that provider NEC had received a certificate of electrical safety, the final tick for its insurer.

“[This] allows a very safe installation [of the machines] to begin from next Monday,” he said.

“They are program works that will take two weeks.”

It’s expected that all machines will be installed by 19 May.

Public Transport Canberra chair Ryan Hemsley said while it was “six months too late”, the group was glad this step was finally happening.

“Ticket vending machines are a really important part of helping visitors and occasional passengers use our public transport system. Tapping on with your bank card is good, but it doesn’t help families and concession card holders, so the new machines will be very useful,” he said.

“But this is just one example of how our ticketing system launched as a half-formed thing. All we can do now is to keep pressing the ACT Government and NEC to deliver the rest of what they promised.”

The committee was also updated on the status of other improvements and issues that have either been resolved or scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2025.

Completed accessibility improvements include changes to the MyWay+ customer portal and mobile app (such as font colour and menu structure) to improve web accessibility; increasing the volume for a successful tap on/off on the ticket validators; on-board audio announcements of upcoming bus stops; and updates to content and readability of information for the on-board passenger information displays.

Get Skilled Access (GSA) was contracted in March to undertake an accessibility review of the MyWay+ system. The first stage of the review is still underway, with changes to the customer portal as a result of this investigation expected in the next one to two months.

A broader review will follow, with full accessibility requirements not expected to be met until September.

Greens transport spokesperson Andrew Braddock said this wasn’t good enough.

“That means many Canberrans will continue to have a hard time using our public transport network because of MyWay+ for many more months,” he said.

“If a system doesn’t work for everyone, it doesn’t work. The Minister [Steel] had the power to wait until MyWay+ was actually ready to use, and he chose to put Canberrans through this public transport nightmare.”

Real-time passenger information (RTPI) is expected to be shared with third-party providers by the end of the month.

“This [sharing] was delayed due to further integration between the MyWay+ and HASTUS [scheduling software] systems being required, in order to improve the reliability of RTPI in some instances,” an ACT Government document stated.

“Testing of the updated integration [is] currently underway.”

Changes have been made to the unpopular in-app QR code and the reader on validators to improve, “as best as possible”, the technical scanning of the codes.

“Transport Canberra acknowledges QR codes represent the least efficient payment method in MyWay+ when compared to other payment options such as using a MyWay+ travel card or a credit or debit card,” the ACT Government document stated.

“Transport Canberra and NEC are currently investigating viable alternative payment options available under the contract, such as the use of a digital wallet service.”

The development of group accounts is underway, with its timeline pushed back to implement the GSA recommendations. It’s expected this feature will become available by mid-year.

The report from the MyWay+ inquiry is due to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly in June.