Adelaide Metro is to enable passengers to make contactless fare payments with their credit or debit card or their tap-and-pay digital wallet on all its bus, train and tram services in the South Australian state capital.
The transit authority began testing the open loop contactless ticketing system on the city’s tram network in September 2020 and is now preparing for a full rollout, beginning with its O-Bahn bus rapid transit services next year.
The system will complement the existing metroCARD transit card and Seniors Card fare payment options, with tap-and-pay users being charged the equivalent of a single regular metroCARD fare that will remain valid for two hours.
“We have been thrilled to see how quickly tram commuters have embraced this new technology, with the number of tap-and-pay travellers growing each month,” says the Government of South Australia’s minister for infrastructure and transport Corey Wingard.
“An average of 8,077 commuters per month have tapped onto trams with their Visa, Mastercard or smart device in the past three months.
“That’s significantly higher than the average 4,886 commuters per month that purchased paper MetroTickets during the same period.”