Catching public transport in Canberra is about to get a whole lot easier with a supplier now secured for a new smart transport system, to be called MyWay+ (plus).

NEC Australia will deliver MyWay+, a new public transport ticketing system for the ACT.

The company was appointed following an extensive procurement process.

MyWay+ will offer give transport users a simpler payment process, with the ability to tap on and off using a credit or debit card, phone or smart watch. Traditional travel cards and paper tickets will still be accepted.

Public transport users will also be able to plan their journey and track services with a real-time passenger information system and journey planner, available online or on a mobile app.

The app will be downloadable from the Apple Store and Google Play, once established.

The improved system will also provide a new real time passenger information system and journey planner. Customers will be able to plan their journey, track the arrival of their next service, and pay for their travel, all from a web portal or mobile app.

NEC will deliver the system from its Canberra-based facilities and use a local ACT team to operate and maintain the system.

This will include undertaking a design and development process over the next 12 months to ensure the new system, MyWay+, is specifically customised for the Canberra market.

The ACT Government will work closely with the community and stakeholder groups to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

This includes the installation and commissioning of equipment to support the new ticketing system, including over 1,000 new validators onboard Transport Canberra buses and on light rail platforms, and around 25 ticket vending machines across the public transport network.

The new system will be rolled out via a staged transition period.

There are three core elements of MyWay+:

Real-time passenger information

1. Personalised public transport related messages and alerts.
2. Accurate and reliable data in real time, for customers travelling on the network for the most efficient travel planning.
3. Information available in real time on vehicle occupancy levels.

Journey planning

1. Multimodal journey planning application (light rail, bus, cycling, walking, e-scooter, rideshare/taxi).
2. Accessibility information inclusive of transportation mode, accessible stops, stations, paths and walkways.
3. Ability to customise journeys based on preferences or priorities such as cost, duration, carbon footprint and active travel components including setting walking or self-transfer speeds.

Ticketing

1. Increased choice of fare media for customers, including provisions to tap on and tap off with a debit and credit card for ease of fare payment.
2. Enabling greater customer independence with customer self-management functionality through a personalised secure account.
3. Allows for automated cheapest fare calculation when using any of the supported fare methods, including concession registration on all supported fare media (credit, debit cards, travel cards).
4. Ability for future integration with cross-jurisdictional services such as Queanbeyan and surrounding NSW.

For more information, visit transport.act.gov.au

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