Metcard
Encyclopedia
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications
.
Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing
system used to access public transport in Melbourne
, Australia
. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink
network, consisting of suburban train
s, tram
s, and bus
es, including the NightRider network. The Metcard is a credit card
sized ticket made out of cardboard and uses a magnetic strip
to store fare
data. Metcard is operated by OneLink Transit Systems under a contract to the State Government which is managed by the Transport Ticketing Authority
.
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In July 1983, the Metropolitan Transit Authority
was formed to integrate Melbourne's tram, train, and bus services. The Metropolitan Transit Authority also integrated bus, train, and tram ticketing using punch tickets and scratchies. Under the arrangements, the State Government collected all revenue from the sale of multi-modal tickets, which was then allocated to the various operators on an agreed formula basis.
Moves towards automated ticketing were first made in 1992. Tenders were called for the design, supply, installation and on-going maintenance of the system, with the 'OneLink Transit Consortium' becoming the preferred tenderer in September 1993. The contract was signed in May 1994, with the major technology supplier being the ERG Group (now Vix Technology).
Testing of prototypes commenced in December 1993, and the roll-out of the system was carried out from August 1996 to April 1998. Public field trials were carried out on buses from August 20, 1996, and on rail services from September 18, 1996. Acceptance occurred in November 1997. The system commenced full revenue service from May 1998 at a cost of $330 million. Contractual issues between OneLink and the Victorian Government
were not settled until May 2002 with the payment of up to $65 million in a staged settlement.
In 2002, Metcard replaced the functionally identical yet technically simpler punch tickets and scratchie tickets, which were easy to cheat. Controversy surrounded Metcard at its introduction, due to cost over-runs, the abolition of tram conductors
and the unreliability of ticket purchasing and validation machines. The machines were attacked by vandals
frequently (often by pouring liquids into the coin slot), and have seen several revisions to their design since.
An audit released by the State Government in 2001 showed over 1 in 4 (27.2%) of the machines at train station
s did not work, and 11.9% of mobile equipment in buses and trams was non-operational. The State Government renegotiated with ticketing network contract operator OneLink Transit Systems to improve the service to commuters. Following these improvements, a 2002 audit showed an increase in availability of machines to 92.1% at train stations, and 98.3% on buses and trams. Usability was also improved, with tram machines able to sell daily tickets. Furthermore, vandalism across the network dropped by 62% between 2001 and 2002.
V/Line
tickets were aligned with the Metcard system in April 2006, with each V/Line ticket to stations in the Metcard area having the relevant zones printed on them. In March 2007 the Nightrider
bus service was also brought under the Metcard system. and zones 2 and 3 under the Metcard system were merged as zone 2.
The original Metcard contract with OneLink was to last nine years, expiring in March 2007. In 2005 the contract was amended to permit the system to be extended and modified as work on the replacement myki
project progresses, with the contract being able to be terminated on six months notice.
Discarded Metcards are often used as a roach in cannabis
cigarettes.
All forms of public transport can be accessed by using a single Metcard. Metcards are a time and zone based ticket, with validity periods ranging from 2 hours to yearly, and two zones covering the Melbourne
metropolitan area. Further information on the range of Metcards available is published in Metlink's Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual.
Metcards can be purchased in the following ways from:
Ticket availability varies, with the sources above each stocking slightly different ranges beyond the standard two-hour, daily and seniors tickets. Availability on board buses is particularly restricted, with neither the Sunday Saver nor off-peak tickets being available from drivers. Similarly ticket vending machines at railway stations do not stock Sunday Savers or some types of off-peak tickets. Payment options vary from coin-only (small Metcard machines on trams and at railway stations), EFTPOS
, coin and some notes (large ticket machines at stations) to EFTPOS, credit card
, coin and all notes (premium railway stations).
In March 2008 the new 401 shuttle bus service between from North Melbourne railway station
to the Royal Melbourne Hospital
and University of Melbourne
became the first (and as of 2009 the only) bus route in Melbourne that requires the purchase of a Metcard before travel.
Metcards are 'validated' when entering or exiting railway stations, and getting on trams or buses. The first validation prints an expiry date and time on the back of the ticket. Subsequent validations of most types of tickets do not print extra times but the data was intended to be used to count passenger numbers (in order to improve transport services). Revalidation of already validated tickets, whilst functionally unnecessary, is still required by law and occasional campaigns continue to remind passengers of this.
When transport operations were franchised, revalidation data was also used to apportion revenue share between operators. This has since been abandoned in favour of fixed percentage allocations (40% train, 40% tram and 20% bus).
With the lack of barriers at all but a few major railway stations and trams not having conductors, enforcement is the responsibility of roaming Authorised Officers (ticket inspectors). Authorised Officers (AOs) check that passengers have the correct ticket and, if using a concession ticket, have a suitable concession card. AOs do not issue fines directly but issue an infringement notice. The passenger then receives a letter from the Department of Transport
, who may issue a fine. They can either pay the fine, or contest it by letter or in court.
A separate fare and ticketing system exists for V/Line
(country) services. However, since April 2006 holders of V/Line tickets to Melbourne have access to both Zone 1 and 2, while V/Line tickets to Zone 2 stations are valid for Zone 2 only. Fares in most towns just outside Melbourne were also aligned to Zone 2 Metcard prices as part of this integration.
A range of tickets are available, including two-hour, all-day, weekly, monthly and annual tickets. There are also concession tickets for students, seniors and others. As of 2010, a daily Zone 1 full-fare (as distinct from concession fare) ticket costs A$
6.80 , and a weekly Zone 1 ticket costs A$
29.40. Prices generally rise by inflation (CPI) on January 1 each year, though there have been occasional higher than CPI increases.
, which will also cover all public transport in the state.
However in February 2008 Victorian Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky
announced that the full roll out of the system would not begin until the end of 2008. Approximately 7 weeks later, the system was delayed for approximately another 2 years, with an announcement that the service was now scheduled to begin its roll out in 2009, but not be fully operational until some time in 2010. The system has now been introduced on metropolitan train services
, and was introduced on bus and tram services on July 25 2010.
The two systems would coexist until the transition is complete. The current Metcard equipment supports a similar system based on re-usable RFID touch cards for use by public transport staff and other pass holders, however this provides neither the flexibility nor advantages intended to be brought by the new system.
Transport minister Martin Pakula has announced recently that Myki will be valid on trams and buses on sunday the 25th July 2010, nearly 7 months after the initial launch on trains operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. However Martin couldn't say a date for when Myki will be rolled out on V/Line coaches and trains.
The new system has been announced as a Touch On / Touch Off system, where two validations are required per journey; one when boarding and again when alighting, similar to the London Underground
's Oyster card
system. This means passengers will have a single card and be charged for the actual fare used (flat rate
fare). This is unlike the current system where passengers who travel into different zones at different days and times may need to buy several types of Metcards beforehand.
Touch On / Touch Off has both benefits and costs. On one hand it allows fares to be automatically calculated, always giving the passenger the cheapest fare option. Also, unlike Metcard, special off-peak fares to encourage travel during quiet times could be implemented, for example. The main cost will likely be borne by passengers who do not Scan Off, which is easy to forget. Such passengers will likely be charged the 2 hour Zone 1+2 fare.
In June 2011, the Victorian Government confirmed that myki will continue and that metcards will no longer be available after December 2012.
OneLink Communications
OneLink Communications is a triple player telecommunications company in Puerto Rico that provides broadband Internet access, mobile phone, and television services. It is the successor of Adelphia in the Puerto Rican market....
.
Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing
Integrated ticketing
Integrated ticketing allows a person to make a journey that involves transfers within or between different transport modes with a single ticket that is valid for the complete journey, modes being buses, trains, subways, ferries, etc...
system used to access public transport in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
network, consisting of suburban train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s, tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s, and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, including the NightRider network. The Metcard is a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
sized ticket made out of cardboard and uses a magnetic strip
Magnetic stripe card
A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card...
to store fare
Fare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
data. Metcard is operated by OneLink Transit Systems under a contract to the State Government which is managed by the Transport Ticketing Authority
Transport Ticketing Authority
right|250pxTransport Ticketing Authority is a division of the Department of Transport in the State Government of Victoria, Australia. It was established in June 2003 to manage Victoria's interest in the OneLink Metcard ticketing system contract, and to procure and manage the new ticketing solution...
.
History
Metropolitan Transit Authority (Victoria)
The Metropolitan Transit Authority was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body that operated suburban passenger trains,trams and buses in Victoria, Australia. It was set up under Section 15 of the Transport Act 1983 and commenced operation on 1 July 1983...
was formed to integrate Melbourne's tram, train, and bus services. The Metropolitan Transit Authority also integrated bus, train, and tram ticketing using punch tickets and scratchies. Under the arrangements, the State Government collected all revenue from the sale of multi-modal tickets, which was then allocated to the various operators on an agreed formula basis.
Moves towards automated ticketing were first made in 1992. Tenders were called for the design, supply, installation and on-going maintenance of the system, with the 'OneLink Transit Consortium' becoming the preferred tenderer in September 1993. The contract was signed in May 1994, with the major technology supplier being the ERG Group (now Vix Technology).
Testing of prototypes commenced in December 1993, and the roll-out of the system was carried out from August 1996 to April 1998. Public field trials were carried out on buses from August 20, 1996, and on rail services from September 18, 1996. Acceptance occurred in November 1997. The system commenced full revenue service from May 1998 at a cost of $330 million. Contractual issues between OneLink and the Victorian Government
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
were not settled until May 2002 with the payment of up to $65 million in a staged settlement.
In 2002, Metcard replaced the functionally identical yet technically simpler punch tickets and scratchie tickets, which were easy to cheat. Controversy surrounded Metcard at its introduction, due to cost over-runs, the abolition of tram conductors
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
and the unreliability of ticket purchasing and validation machines. The machines were attacked by vandals
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
frequently (often by pouring liquids into the coin slot), and have seen several revisions to their design since.
An audit released by the State Government in 2001 showed over 1 in 4 (27.2%) of the machines at train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s did not work, and 11.9% of mobile equipment in buses and trams was non-operational. The State Government renegotiated with ticketing network contract operator OneLink Transit Systems to improve the service to commuters. Following these improvements, a 2002 audit showed an increase in availability of machines to 92.1% at train stations, and 98.3% on buses and trams. Usability was also improved, with tram machines able to sell daily tickets. Furthermore, vandalism across the network dropped by 62% between 2001 and 2002.
V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
tickets were aligned with the Metcard system in April 2006, with each V/Line ticket to stations in the Metcard area having the relevant zones printed on them. In March 2007 the Nightrider
Nightrider Bus Service
The NightRider is a bus service in Melbourne, Australia. It operates on weekends and for special events from the Melbourne city centre to the suburbs, running on 13 routes, with over three hundred stops between 1.30am and 4.30am on Saturdays and 5.30am on Sundays.Since March 2007 the Metcard...
bus service was also brought under the Metcard system. and zones 2 and 3 under the Metcard system were merged as zone 2.
The original Metcard contract with OneLink was to last nine years, expiring in March 2007. In 2005 the contract was amended to permit the system to be extended and modified as work on the replacement myki
Myki
myki is the contactless smartcard ticketing system being introduced on public transport in Victoria, Australia. myki is designed to replace a number of ticket systems in Victoria, primarily the Metcard and V/Line ticketing systems...
project progresses, with the contract being able to be terminated on six months notice.
Discarded Metcards are often used as a roach in cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
cigarettes.
Operation
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
metropolitan area. Further information on the range of Metcards available is published in Metlink's Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual.
Metcards can be purchased in the following ways from:
- Rail stations Ticket Vending Machines
- Ticket Vending Machines on board trams and the Stony Point train
- Bus drivers
- (staffed) stationsPremium stationA premium station is a category of railway station on Melbourne's Metro Rail Network which is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. In terms of station standards, a premium station is a high standard station which sits above the medium standard host stations and the low standard unmanned...
- The Met Shop (inside the Melbourne Town HallMelbourne Town HallMelbourne Town Hall is the central municipal building of the City of Melbourne, Australia, in the State of Victoria. It is located on the northeast corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, in the central business district. It is the seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Melbourne...
on Swanston StreetSwanston Street, MelbourneSwanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
) - Authorised Metcard outlets such as newsagencies and milk bars
- The Internet http://store.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/
- Phone orders (1 800 652 313)
Ticket availability varies, with the sources above each stocking slightly different ranges beyond the standard two-hour, daily and seniors tickets. Availability on board buses is particularly restricted, with neither the Sunday Saver nor off-peak tickets being available from drivers. Similarly ticket vending machines at railway stations do not stock Sunday Savers or some types of off-peak tickets. Payment options vary from coin-only (small Metcard machines on trams and at railway stations), EFTPOS
EFTPOS
EFTPOS is the general term used for debit card based systems used for processing transactions through terminals at points of sale. In Australia and New Zealand it is also the brand name of the specific system used for such payments...
, coin and some notes (large ticket machines at stations) to EFTPOS, credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
, coin and all notes (premium railway stations).
In March 2008 the new 401 shuttle bus service between from North Melbourne railway station
North Melbourne railway station
North Melbourne is a railway station located on the northern edge of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The station is the point through which pass the west and north-west bound Craigieburn, Flemington Racecourse, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee and Williamstown suburban railway...
to the Royal Melbourne Hospital
Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
and University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
became the first (and as of 2009 the only) bus route in Melbourne that requires the purchase of a Metcard before travel.
Metcards are 'validated' when entering or exiting railway stations, and getting on trams or buses. The first validation prints an expiry date and time on the back of the ticket. Subsequent validations of most types of tickets do not print extra times but the data was intended to be used to count passenger numbers (in order to improve transport services). Revalidation of already validated tickets, whilst functionally unnecessary, is still required by law and occasional campaigns continue to remind passengers of this.
When transport operations were franchised, revalidation data was also used to apportion revenue share between operators. This has since been abandoned in favour of fixed percentage allocations (40% train, 40% tram and 20% bus).
With the lack of barriers at all but a few major railway stations and trams not having conductors, enforcement is the responsibility of roaming Authorised Officers (ticket inspectors). Authorised Officers (AOs) check that passengers have the correct ticket and, if using a concession ticket, have a suitable concession card. AOs do not issue fines directly but issue an infringement notice. The passenger then receives a letter from the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)
The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...
, who may issue a fine. They can either pay the fine, or contest it by letter or in court.
Zones and fares
The Melbourne ticketing system is based on 'Zones' and calculated depending on travel zone, with higher fares for trips that include both travel Zones. The Melbourne zonal fare system is broken up into two ticketing Zones: Zone 1 (Yellow) and Zone 2 (Blue). The two zones form concentric rings, with Zone 1 comprising the inner suburbs, and Zone 2 covering the remainder of metropolitan Melbourne. Zone overlap areas exist on the borders of the two zones. In these areas tickets for either zone are acceptable.A separate fare and ticketing system exists for V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
(country) services. However, since April 2006 holders of V/Line tickets to Melbourne have access to both Zone 1 and 2, while V/Line tickets to Zone 2 stations are valid for Zone 2 only. Fares in most towns just outside Melbourne were also aligned to Zone 2 Metcard prices as part of this integration.
A range of tickets are available, including two-hour, all-day, weekly, monthly and annual tickets. There are also concession tickets for students, seniors and others. As of 2010, a daily Zone 1 full-fare (as distinct from concession fare) ticket costs A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
6.80 , and a weekly Zone 1 ticket costs A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
29.40. Prices generally rise by inflation (CPI) on January 1 each year, though there have been occasional higher than CPI increases.
Future
The Metcard system was scheduled to be replaced in 2008 by a RFID-based ticketing system called mykiMyki
myki is the contactless smartcard ticketing system being introduced on public transport in Victoria, Australia. myki is designed to replace a number of ticket systems in Victoria, primarily the Metcard and V/Line ticketing systems...
, which will also cover all public transport in the state.
However in February 2008 Victorian Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky
Lynne Kosky
Lynne Janice Kosky is a former Australian politician and senior minister in the Parliament of Victoria. She represented the electoral district of Altona in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party from 1996 to 2010...
announced that the full roll out of the system would not begin until the end of 2008. Approximately 7 weeks later, the system was delayed for approximately another 2 years, with an announcement that the service was now scheduled to begin its roll out in 2009, but not be fully operational until some time in 2010. The system has now been introduced on metropolitan train services
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
, and was introduced on bus and tram services on July 25 2010.
The two systems would coexist until the transition is complete. The current Metcard equipment supports a similar system based on re-usable RFID touch cards for use by public transport staff and other pass holders, however this provides neither the flexibility nor advantages intended to be brought by the new system.
Transport minister Martin Pakula has announced recently that Myki will be valid on trams and buses on sunday the 25th July 2010, nearly 7 months after the initial launch on trains operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. However Martin couldn't say a date for when Myki will be rolled out on V/Line coaches and trains.
The new system has been announced as a Touch On / Touch Off system, where two validations are required per journey; one when boarding and again when alighting, similar to the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
system. This means passengers will have a single card and be charged for the actual fare used (flat rate
Flat rate
A flat fee, also referred to as a flat rate or a linear rate, refers to a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service, regardless of usage. Rarely, it may refer to a rate that does not vary with usage or time of use...
fare). This is unlike the current system where passengers who travel into different zones at different days and times may need to buy several types of Metcards beforehand.
Touch On / Touch Off has both benefits and costs. On one hand it allows fares to be automatically calculated, always giving the passenger the cheapest fare option. Also, unlike Metcard, special off-peak fares to encourage travel during quiet times could be implemented, for example. The main cost will likely be borne by passengers who do not Scan Off, which is easy to forget. Such passengers will likely be charged the 2 hour Zone 1+2 fare.
In June 2011, the Victorian Government confirmed that myki will continue and that metcards will no longer be available after December 2012.