It hasn’t been all smiles since the MyWay+ ticketing system was launched in November 2024. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
There’s still no word on whether the final two milestones of MyWay+ have been completed, a year after the ticketing system was first launched.
Contract negotiations had seen the delivery timeline pushed out to 1 November, a damning committee report into the project leading to the censure of Transport Minister Chris Steel, both the Chief Minister and (eventually) Mr Steel apologising and the ACT Government withholding payments to tech contractor NEC.
Recent annual report hearings revealed NEC still hadn’t lodged a claim against ”milestone 29” or the practical completion milestone, which is the second-to-last stage of the 30-step upgrade.
This means the ACT Government still can’t assess whether the contract conditions had been met.
“We’re continuing to work in good faith with NEC towards completion, and then we will hopefully move forward to assess that milestone,” Transport Canberra executive group manager Jeremy Smith said.
“That’s the point in time when we’ll be able to define whether the milestone has been met in its entirety, or whether it’s been met partially.”
The project’s final milestone is contracted to be completed by 1 January, 2026.
Work that has been underway includes making the system compliant with disability access legislation, including making all web interfaces user-friendly and lived-experience testing of the NEC customer portal.
Mr Smith said, outside of the accessibility failures, he had no concerns about other aspects that hadn’t been delivered, such as social media log-ins for the system.
“We would like stability in the system to be the primary focus of NEC at the moment,” he said.
“Am I concerned? No. Am I disappointed? Yes, in regards to the usability of the system for our customers.”
Stability issues include MyWay+ ticket validators not working on buses or light-rail vehicles.
This means new ticket enforcement officers won’t be undertaking compliance activities until validators are working at least 90 per cent of the time.
“We won’t be undertaking the harder compliance until we’ve undertaken education [expected to take one to two months], and we won’t be undertaking that harder compliance and issuing infringements until we are absolutely certain that the reliability of the validators is there,” Mr Steel said.
City and Environment Directorate director-general David Peffer said the government was keeping all its options open when it came to potential further financial remedies or actions concerning NEC and the MyWay+ project delivery.
“This is a partnership that needs to endure for many years,” he said.
“It is a good-faith relationship that we’re working through. But at the end of the day, we are both contractually bound — the Territory, obviously, to contribute financially — but NEC to produce a ticketing solution for our public transport.
“Ultimately, what we want is a great experience for our passengers and the citizens of Canberra when interacting with public transport.”
When approached by Region, an ACT Government spokesperson said payment for the milestone was yet to be made.
“The ACT Government is seeking independent assurance on the MyWay+ project, which is anticipated to occur over the coming months,” they said.
“We do not anticipate any further substantial MyWay+ updates until the new year, at which point we will provide the community with a fulsome update.”
Public Transport Canberra chair Amy Jelacic said, despite the disappointments being experienced through the MyWay+ development and implementation, it was important to remember that a contract was still in effect.
“The government can’t just walk away from it,” she said. ”It is in the community’s best interest for the government to seek to work productively with NEC and get the MyWay+ system fully implemented. There isn’t any other feasible option.
“Withholding a contract payment is a significant action that needs to be justified in the context of the contract. The fact that the ACT Government has done this is a clear signal that something has gone wrong and that the government is serious about addressing it.”
