INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Transport for NSW will be rolling out digital Opal cards for use on smartphones and wearables in 2020, according to a new report by the
and Uber, says NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance.The digital card will charge users at the same rate for fares and provide the same
digitally."In the not too distant future, I envisage a subscription style transport service where people use their Digital Opal cards to pay
system could look like, but Mr Constance suggested it could involve a regular weekly or monthly fee being deducted from a linked bank
account."The digital Opal will be used to pay a nominal fee each week or month for unlimited access to all public and private public
transport providers."The Opal card network operates public transport in the Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter and Illawarra
regions.While paying for travel through a smartphone wallet or wearable may be great news for some, it does perhaps raise questions about
the accessibility of this future for others
on the public transport network.
