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Opal Goes Live on Another 300 Buses IN Western Sydney

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Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith today welcomed news Opal electronic ticketing will go live on 300 buses in Western Sydney on Monday 11 August – taking the total number of Opal buses across Western Sydney to more than 1,000.

The rollout includes Busways buses across Penrith, Blacktown, St Marys, Mt Druitt, Kellyville, Quakers Hill, Riverstone, Windsor, Richmond and Kurrajong. This follows 75 buses that went live with Opal in Penrith and the Blue Mountains last week.

“The latest milestone means customers can now tap on and tap off at all train stations, all Sydney Ferries and more than 1,000 buses in Western Sydney,” Stuart Ayres said.

“Thanks to Labor’s failures, people in Western Sydney have been waiting for more than a decade to use electronic ticketing.

“This Government is getting on with the job of modernising the public transport network and delivering real improvements for customers.

“Half a million Opal cards have now been issued across Sydney and customers are taking advantage of cheaper fares, free travel rewards and the convenience of never queuing for a ticket again.

“The incentives offered by the Opal card are about making the use of public transport simpler, more affordable and more convenient to a greater number of customers.”

“Opal gives customers the convenience of always knowing their Opal card is ready to go and never again arriving at the bus stop to find their TravelTen has no rides left.

“Opal is cheaper for the overwhelming majority of customers, with daily fare caps, $2.50 travel on any mode of transport on Sundays and weekly travel rewards.

“Opal offers customers free travel on any mode after eight paid journeys – which means for people who travel to work and home every day – they’ll now be able to catch local trains, buses and ferries for free on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Stuart Ayres said with the retirement of 14 old paper ticket types from 1 September, now is the time to get your Opal card and join 500,000 customers who already take advantage of daily travel caps and weekly travel rewards.

“There are a range of ways customers can get their Opal card – through the Opal website, 13 call centre, pop-up kiosks at train stations, and from this weekend at more than 1,000 retailers,” Stuart Ayres said.

“Around two thirds of customers are choosing to link their Opal card to a credit or debit card so it automatically tops up like an e-tag and they never have to worry about manually topping up their card.” 

The NSW Government will also deliver more ways to make Opal accessible for customers, and this will include machines at stations.

Opal fares for buses include:

  • Cheaper adult single bus fares of between two and nine per cent compared to MyBus paper tickets;
  • Opal Weekly Travel Reward, earned after 8 paid journeys makes it cheaper than a TravelTen for customers travelling to and from work Monday to Friday;
  • A more customer-friendly bus-to-bus transfer fare system – if your transfer is within 60 minutes you will only be charged one fare corresponding to your whole journey.

There are now more than 2,000 buses live with Opal and by the end of 2014 more than 5,000 buses will have Opal across Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter and Illawarra. Light rail will follow in early 2015.

Stuart Ayres said the $2.50 Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card will be released later this year, but pensioners and seniors can continue to buy their paper Pensioner Excursion Tickets.

“The retirement of some paper ticket types on 1 September does not impact pensioners or seniors. They can continue to buy and use PET paper tickets today, after September 1, after the Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card is introduced later this year and into the future.”

Opal retail stores can be found at www.retailers.opal.com.au, registered Adult or Child/Youth Opal cards can also be ordered from opal.com.au or by calling 13 67 25 (13 OPAL).

BUSWAYS BUSES FROM 11 AUGUST 2014

 

661, 662, 663, 664, 668, 669, 673, 674, 675A, 675C, 676, 677, 678, 680, 682, 718, 720, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 726, 727, 737, 738, 739, 739v, 740, 743, 744, 745, 746, 750, 751, 753, 754, 755, 756, 757, 758, 759, 761, 770, 771, 774, 775, 776, 778, 779, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 789, 791, 793, 794, 795, 797, 799, T70, T71, T72, T74, T75, 752, 787

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Stuart Ayres - Member for Penrith

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