Liberal bags myki system

By Lia Bichel
THE new myki ticketing system, designed to make travel easier for commuters, may instead cause a lot of headaches at the Dandenong railway station, according to Liberal MP Gordon Rich-Phillips.
Mr Rich-Phillips said when the system became operational, residents would have a “rude awakening” when they tried to leave the platform.
The system requires users “touching on” as they enter a station, tram or bus and ‘touching off’ when they leave. Failure to do so may result in extra charges of up to $4.96.
Mr Rich-Phillips said the process would leave many passengers frustrated.
“We are going to have major issues arising during the afternoon and evenings as the bulk of travellers who work in the city make their way home,” he said. “What’s going to happen when 200 myki users try and ‘touch’ off through the four little exits at the same time? I imagine there will a considerable amount of irritation as many commuters rushing off the platform will have to queue five or 10 minutes to leave the Dandenong station.”
Mr Rich-Phillips said the Dandenong station would need significant upgrading if the new system was going to work.
Myki spokeswoman Jean Ker Walsh said the process of “touching on” and “touching off” should not cause delays and would benefit commuters financially.
“It takes around a second to touch on and touch off using myki, which is quicker than the time it takes to validate a Metcard,” she said. “(And) with myki, customers will never pay more than $3 to travel across zones one and two all day on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday. Myki means more money can stay in passengers’ pockets even if they don’t know what ticket to buy or they change their travel plans.
“Instead of choosing between 16 different types of ticket, customers will be able to simply top up their myki, touch on and touch off every time they travel and the system will ensure they pay the cheapest available fare.”