Article: Passengers face $500m ticket chaos

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Passengers face $500m ticket chaos

Passengers face $500m ticket chaos

Jason Dowling
March 2, 2008

MELBOURNE is facing a public transport ticketing disaster, with the ageing Metcard system close to collapse and the state's transport officials considering abandoning the troubled $500 million myki smartcard system.

Secret briefings to Transport Minister Lynne Kosky, obtained by The Sunday Age, show the Transport Ticketing Authority is so worried about excessive delays with the new system it has prepared contingency plans with "termination options" if progress does not improve.

With the myki network running at least 15 months behind schedule and no start-up date in place, the decrepit Metcard system is having to operate beyond its use-by date.

Commuters are likely to face more "out of order" machines as spare parts are becoming harder to source, and the limited stock of new equipment is barely enough to outfit the city's expanding transport network.

Ms Kosky conceded to the The Sunday Age she was so concerned about the delays she sought the appointment of two new members to the Transport Ticketing Authority board "to strengthen its technical expertise".

The authority's chief executive, Viv Miners ? who is overseeing implementation of the new system ? briefed Ms Kosky last year that "an ambitious program" had been set for introducing the myki network because the authority "was aware of the risks of collapse of the ageing Metcard system with consequent risk to the entire metropolitan public transport farebox".

Setting a roll-out date, however, has proved impossible. A trial of the new system on Geelong buses late last year identified problems with "front office" computer software. A second trial, using the 12th version of the software, is due late this year.

The Transport Ticketing Authority said it hoped to test the system on trams and trains this year but could not say when the system would be ready for use.

On August 13 last year, Ms Kosky was advised by her department that the provider of the myki system, Kamco, was 15 months behind schedule, documents obtained under freedom-of-information laws show.

Department of Infrastructure head Howard Ronaldson was briefed last August that "no commitment re ? a 'go live' date with any level of certainty can be made at this time".

The notes reveal the minister's barely veiled anger over the delays. In one, she wrote: "I am extremely concerned about the slippage of dates and timelines."

Ms Kosky told The Sunday Age she met transport officials as soon as she was briefed on the delays. "This is a complicated project and we have to get it right," she said.

A separate internal briefing said the $494 million project "will run over budget", but the Transport Ticketing Authority last week said the project was "within budget" ? despite the fact that when former premier Steve Bracks announced the awarding of the contract in 2005, he indicated the integrated system would be in place by now.

"In 2007, Victorians will enter an era of smartcard travel that will help deliver a simpler and more convenient public transport system," Mr Bracks said.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder warned that the city faced ticketing chaos. "That (Metcard) system could crash and myki not be ready," he said. "Minister Kosky may get the opportunity to expand her free public transport beyond 7am in the morning."

He said Victoria "could well end up with two ticketing systems both in the bin".

The delays echo problems faced by the NSW Government, which cancelled its $370 million electronic TCard system after software problems. It is now buying old magnetic strip ticketing machines from Brisbane.

The Ticketing Authority's Duncan Bryce denied the Kamco contract was in jeopardy. "As would be expected in a project of this size there are always contingency plans. However, there are no plans to 'step in or terminate' Kamco's contract," he said.

While the board would not comment on Mr Miners' role, Ms Kosky has confirmed a "restructure" is under way.

Daniel Bowen from the Public Transport Users Association said the current ticketing fiascos were like "history repeating".