The complex technology crosses every mode of public transport, requiring software development, device replacement and extensive testing.
The 15-year contract to update the system was won in mid-2023 by Conduent Transportation, which declined an offer from The News to comment on the matter.
Technology that allows passengers to tap on with credit cards, phones and smart watches is already in place in other capital cities and developed countries around the world.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe said passengers north of Seymour on the Shepparton line were still travelling on paper tickets and that the delay showed the Victorian Government’s mismanagement of public transport.
“Quite frankly it’s embarrassing that paper tickets are still used on the Shepparton line in 2025,” the Nationals MP said.
“The technology to allow passengers to tap on with personal devices has existed for a long time and we still can’t even use a Myki card in the Goulburn Valley.
“It’s a shock to the system for everyone who visits our region and is forced to use a ticketing system from the Dark Ages.”
Ms O’Keeffe said the frustration of passengers on the Shepparton line was compounded by the still incomplete Stage 3 of the Shepparton Corridor Upgrade, which should have been finished in 2023 but remains incomplete.
“True to form, the project has taken much longer than expected and promised additional services are yet to materialise while our trains are overcrowding,” she said.
The Victorian Government is currently conducting a six-month trial of tap-and-go technology for full-fare passengers to pay for travel while boarding local buses in Wangaratta.
It says the new ticketing system is underpinned by extensive technical and customer testing, with each new Myki feature being tested at each stage.
“We are investing in new readers and technology to improve our ticketing system for the long term, giving passengers more options,” a Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said.
V/Line’s ticketing service is separate from the Myki rollout.
V/Line passengers are sent a ticket by SMS or email to their mobile device or computer.
“We’ve introduced e-Ticketing for V/Line long-distance services with passengers now able to display their ticket on their smartphone or print them at home,” the spokesperson said.
eTicketing is available on V/Line scheduled coach services, and for Albury, Ararat, Bairnsdale, Echuca, Maryborough, Shepparton, Swan Hill and Warrnambool train services lines.
