Released 27/11/2024
Canberrans now have more ways to plan and pay for bus and light rail with the new MyWay+ ticketing system operating across our public transport network.
“Today is a very exciting one for public transport in our city. MyWay+ provides powerful journey planning, live service updates and more ways to pay for public transport,” said Minister for Transport Chris Steel.
“Canberrans can now tap on and off with their Mastercard or Visa, use a MyWay+ card or use a digital ticket linked to the MyWay+ app. Old MyWay cards will no longer be accepted.
“I want to acknowledge this is a big change in how to use public transport. Please be assured that nobody will be left behind in this transition period. Our drivers and staff will take an educative approach in the first few weeks of the system as we make this transition.
“While the fare free period has supported more than 20,000 people to already set up MyWay+ accounts, we want to allow everyone time to find out more information and understand the new system.”
With MyWay+ now online Canberrans can also expect free travel across our public transport network every Friday starting from 6 December 2024.
“Fare Free Fridays was promised by Labor at the election as a one-year trial and I’m pleased that with the introduction of the new ticketing service that we will be able to quickly deliver this commitment,” said Minister Steel.
“We believe this is going to be an effective way to encourage more people onto public transport while reducing transport costs for all Canberrans at a time when they need it most.
“Not only will the trial benefit Canberrans using public transport, it will also be a boost to local businesses by encouraging people into town centres on Fridays.
“That means people will have access to free travel on all light rail services and bus services running from around 5:30am to 11:00pm, and light rail from 6:00am to 1:00am on Friday and into Saturday morning.”
When Fare free Fridays does start, Canberrans will still be required to tap on and off each service to support data collection but will not be charged for the fare.
For the first time, people can now also track their service via our online real-time journey planner and the MyWay+ app.
MyWay+ will continue to improve in the weeks ahead as we provide more features and update the app and systems in response to customer feedback. Updates are expected every few weeks and these will be applied automatically to any versions of the app people have already installed.
There will be a small proportion of buses in the operational fleet today which will not have the MyWay+ hardware installed. The ACT Government made the decision to not install MyWay+ on buses scheduled for replacement by new battery electric buses in the coming weeks and months.
“If you do board one of the buses without MyWay+ equipment installed, you will not be charged a fare for that particular trip. If you then board another bus or light rail on your journey, you will be required to tap on and off as usual and will be charged a fare for the trip,” said Minister Steel.
MyWay+ fares remain the same as they were under the previous MyWay system and the fares incorporate banking related fees and cost.
“I want to thank everyone who has provided feedback over the past few weeks, particularly since the first version of the MyWay+ app went live and the account functionality went live,” said Minister Steel.
“We know that change can be stressful. It is also a big change for how our drivers and staff, including call centre operators.
“I would ask that all Canberrans be respectful of our staff as we navigate this change together. Our drivers are also learning the system and they need to focus on driving safely.
“For anyone who is looking for more information on how to get on board with MyWay+ I encourage you to visit www.transport.act.gov.au where there is a wealth of resources, including guides for seniors, guides for parents of students and video tutorials on topics such as how to set up MyWay+ accounts.”
To share your feedback, simply fill out our feedback form at www.transport.act.gov.au/contact-us/feedback or call our customer service team at 13 17 10.
- Statement ends -
Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases