Melbourne commuters will no longer be able to buy weekly and monthly Metcards from today.
Weekly and monthly Metcards were pulled from ticket machines across Victoria’s public transport network this morning.
Metlink Melbourne says switching to a myki pass will allow travellers to continue paying the same fare.
Simon Murphy, Transport Ticketing Authority media relations advisor, says all passengers will have to switch to myki at some stage, and now is the time for Weekly and Monthly ticket holders.
Mr Murphy cites the benefits of having a myki card, like balance protection for lost or stolencards, as incentives for passengers to make the switch.
“The new ticketing system requires different behaviours to previous systems used in Melbourne and the Transport Ticketing Authority would urge people to be patient with their fellow passengers as they learn how to use myki,” Mr Murphy said.
But Paul Westcott, committee member for the Public Transport Users’ Association, says changing the Metcard system was unnecessary, and a switch to Myki could become a disincentive for commuters to use public transport.
Mr Westcott says a big factor in whether or not customers are satisfied with a switch to Myki will be how well the system works for them.
“Almost nothing about the introduction of Myki, since its inauguration exactly three years ago on Geelong buses, has gone smoothly, so there is widespread suspicion, and even trepidation, about it,” he says.
Michael, 28, of Brunswick agrees. Michael catches public transport one or two times a week, and got a myki when they were given away for free in 2009.
Michael says his Myki usually takes more than four attempts to touch on before it works, and should remain optional until Myki cards are fully operational.
“It’s clearly not practical yet,” he says.” “They should provide a short term ticket alternative, which is what I thought Metcard was.”
Heidel of Wanturna South travels to the city every day and says she uses weekly Metcards because she finds myki “annoying”.
“Half of them didn’t work, so I went back to Metcard,” she says. “Until they work out all the bugs, they shouldn’t phase Metcards out.”
Heidel says she will start buying daily tickets from today and keep using Metcard until they stop being sold.
Passengers can continue to use existing metcards until the end of this year. Daily and short trip metcards will be phased out in the coming months.
The change follows the switching off of metcard machines at train stations on the Werribee, Williamstown and Sydenham lines last month.
TIMELINE: The myki story so far… How long will your metcards last?
