If you’re damn sick of carrying around – and constantly losing – your myki card in Melbourne and you’re an Android phone owner (sorry Apple stans), you’re right smack bang in the group of people that can put their hand up to try out having your myki on your phone. Is this a game changer for phones with near-field communication abilities? Possibly, yes.
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Public Transport Victoria (the other PTV) are looking to get around 4000 people to test out whether tapping on and off with your phone is a good alternative to buying and keeping a myki card. The smartphone tech will also allow commuters to top-up their cards/accounts instantly from their phones, hopefully cutting down the number of people waiting in line at top-up machines.
Let me tell you, Sydney has an Opal card app where you can remotely top up your card and it has saved my ass countless times.
As reported by The Age, if the trial is successful, the Andrews Government will be looking to roll it out for everyone else in the next 12 months.
There’s nothing fancy you have to do, either – the mobile myki uses all the existing gates and card-readers, so it’s just a matter of whipping out your phone instead of your card. And if you’re the kind of person that loses not only your myki card but your phone as well then I’m sorry but I really can’t help you.
If you want in on the trial, expressions of interest can be sent to PTV (once again, not us) from today – and they’re looking for commuters and travellers from both the city surrounds, regional, and rural centres. You can put your name down for the trial over HERE.
