We’re 3 weeks after the very shaky launch of Canberra’s new account-based public transport ticketing system. It’s fair to say that there have been enough improvements to give the illusion that the system works for most of the people, most of the time. But there are a number of very important gaps which mean we’re definitely not at a stage where Transport Canberra and NEC can declare “mission accomplished”, particularly because those gaps have a significant impact on pensioners, students and people with disabilities.
What’s improved
The validators are more reliable (but not good enough yet)
Earlier we’d pointed out that the ticket validators on buses:
- were too slow to activate at the bus stops (if they turned on at all)
- weren’t making a noise to let people know they’ve successfully tapped on
- weren’t installed on a significant number of buses.
They’ve made big improvements on #1, and recent reports suggest they’re now more likely to activate when they need to. If you have a bank card or a MyWay+ travel card, tapping on and off is now a much less frustrating experience – assuming you’re not on a Route 2 or 56 bus.
The validators now also make a noise to let people know when they’ve tapped on and off, although it needs to be a lot louder. We were surprised to learn that Transport Canberra and NEC initially turned that feature off because they thought it would annoy passengers and drivers – thankfully, common sense has prevailed.
Unfortunately, far more buses than you’d expect still have the old equipment. It’s not only just the old CNG buses, which are due for retirement shortly. A number of brand new Bustech buses still have the old equipment as well. We don’t know when 100% of the fleet will be fitted out with MyWay+, and until it is, the system won’t reach its full potential.
The communication is a lot clearer and simpler
Transport Canberra’s ominous “MyWay+ is coming” campaign didn’t actually tell people what they needed to do to use the new ticketing system. Thankfully, their communications material has significantly improved in the past 2 weeks, with frequent updates being issued about how to use the system, and what issues they’re fixing at the moment. They’ve also adopted the basic message “using your bank card is quick and easy”, which is the best way to minimise confusion for passengers. There’s more work to be done, but we’re glad Transport Canberra has adopted a messaging style that prioritises clarity and simplicity over vague and unhelpful slogans.
What’s still a problem
It’s not accessible for everyone
This is probably the most concerning issue right now: despite the system requirements stipulated in the contract, there are a number of aspects of MyWay+ which create barriers for people with disabilities.
For example, the MyWay+ app and website don’t comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a set of standards which make it easier for people with vision, hearing or mobility issues to access software. Last week, digital consultancy Canaxess wrote a great article about MyWay+’s shortcomings on this front, including:
- it uses low contrast colours, making it hard for people to read
- it doesn’t label some of the boxes, so screenreaders can’t pick them up, and people tabbing through options can’t click on them.
And it’s not just the software which makes it harder for people with disabilities:
- there aren’t any audio announcements telling people the next bus stop
- the noise made by the validators is still too quiet
- the passenger information displays are small and hard to read from some parts of the bus
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have been around for 20 years, and as shown above, are incorporated into the MyWay+ contract. We’ve had disability standards for public transport for 30 years. For some people, the above issues will be barriers stopping them from using public transport, so we’re not raising these as “nice to have” issues: they should have been prerequisites for launching the new system.
It’s unclear what’s happening with the payment systems
It’s true that most people are tapping on and off successfully these days. But it’s less clear if the payment system is actually deducting what it should. We’ve had inconsistent reports of:
- off-peak fares applying in peak times
- the system not recognising the difference between a tap on and a tap off
- some people getting charged on “Fare free Friday”
- some people not getting charged at all
No-one’s made a big fuss about this so far, mainly because (most of) the errors are undercharging. But soon enough this is going to be a big problem for Transport Canberra: it needs to get fixed, and fast.
The QR codes still aren’t working
One of the most confusing aspects of the system in the first few days was the QR codes in the MyWay+ app. No-one asked for them, and Transport Canberra hadn’t really explained how they worked or why they were needed. But it’s the first thing you see when you open up your MyWay+ app, so a lot of passengers have been trying to use them, with little success.
The first problem was the validators weren’t reading the codes at all: this seems to have improved slightly following some updates to the MyWay+ app. But we’ve been getting a lot of reports that people can’t tap off with their QR code, and are getting messages saying “Not accepting QR, ticket expired”.
Transport Canberra tell us they’re aware of this issue, and have put in some changes to fix it. Some passengers are reporting a little more success with tapping off. But it’s clear the technology is still unreliable, and it’s unclear why it was included as an option in the first place, let alone the only ticketing option described in the app.
There still aren’t enough MyWay+ cards
Some of the reasons people are using their QR codes is because it gives them access to their MyWay+ account, rather than going through their bank balance. This way they get their old MyWay balance and the 5% autoload discount.
A lot of this demand could be met if people could get their hands on a physical MyWay+ card, or could add a digital MyWay+ card to their Google or Apple Wallet. Unfortunately MyWay+ agents are still frequently sold out of cards, and if you’re ordering them via the customer portal, it’s taking a while to deliver them. The prospect of a digital MyWay+ card, similar to the Mobile Myki offered in Victoria, is even more remote.
We’re told 44,000 cards are in the hands of passengers: this might sound like a lot, but on most days there are more than 40,000 return journeys on our public transport network, and countless more of the 470,000 Canberrans use public transport from time to time. Transport Canberra needs to do more to increase the supply of MyWay+ cards, and also extend the network of MyWay+ agents. The promised rollout to supermarkets and petrol stations has yet to happen.
The MyWay+ app is terrible
Even leaving aside the accessibility issues, there are still a lot of problems with the app, including:
- the journey planner still suggests motorbikes, taxis and a 3 hour walk ahead of public transport
- you need to click through 4 separate screens in the app to access your account
- the app seems to allow access to print-at-home tickets, even though it’s not live yet
To put it bluntly, the MyWay+ app is unintuitive, visually unappealing and frustrating to use. In our view, it is unsalvageable in its current form and needs to be completely redesigned. Whatever merit the underlying technology may possess, the user experience is poor, and will continue to be poor until significant changes are made that put the needs of the passenger front and centre.
Real-time information needs to be more timely
Finally, the real-time information aspect of the system is definitely not ready yet. As of today, there’s been a soft launch of real-time tracking for some bus routes, but it’s not yet like the old NXTBUS system, where real-time bus location data was available via third party apps or the displays at major bus stops.
If you catch a bus, the displays are very janky. For example they might tell you:
- the bus stop outside your bus window is 6 minutes away
- you’re travelling on a completely different route to what’s shown on the front destination sign
- it’s the year 2009 (see lead photo)
What little we’ve seen of the real-time bus data in the MyWay+ app also does not inspire confidence. It’s certainly not the kind of “world leading” technology described in the MyWay+ contract.
It’s not surprising that they’re reluctant to launch real-time tracking given these bugs. But again, this is a fundamental part of the system Transport Canberra purchased from NEC: we need it to work!
Longer-term issues still to be addressed
This isn’t the end of the list. Other areas for improvement include:
- ticket vending machines aren’t online yet
- validators don’t display your fare or account balance
- the promised family accounts are yet to arrive
It’s important for us to hold Transport Canberra to account, and we’ll keep checking up on this as the rollout of MyWay+ progresses.
Do you think we’ve missed anything else? Let us know by emailing .