NSW Public transport to go paperless from 1st August 2016

From 1 August 2016, paper tickets will no longer be sold or accepted and customers will need an Opal card or Opal single trip ticket to travel on public transport in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra and Southern Highlands.

The state’s Opal card system will become the only means for commuters to access public transport starting August 1, according to TfNSW’s social media accounts.

Fares for Opal users are frozen until July 2017, but occasional commuters and travellers from outside of NSW will need to have an Opal card- which is free to acquire- to get around on public transport.

Although Opal fares will not increase until mid-2017, changes to the fare system mean some commuters will have cheaper trips if they require a transfer in their journey.

Users will receive discounts when they make a transfer in their journey, such as a mid-trip swap from train to bus, or light rail to ferry, from September 5.

Adults will get a $2 discount per transfer, while concession holders- including children, students, and pensioners- will receive a $1 discount.

Opal will still offer its 50 per cent discount after eight trips per week.

Despite the future of NSW’s public transport network being paperless, commuters may soon have an easier way to pay for their trips.

As Opal’s operating system is not yet outdated, TfNSW says it will be able to trial contactless payment for journeys on public transport in 2017.

The contactless payment system has been used in London since 2014 and is now used by around 800,000 people per day, Transport for London’s dasydneyta shows.

The upcoming NSW trial has no official start date set, but it could provide Sydney commuters with an alternative to paper tickets if they leave their Opal cards at home.

For more information: Visit Opal Website