Market sounding: Next generation ticketing system for Transport Canberra

⁠⁠⁠Market sounding: Next generation ticketing system for Transport Canberra

Thank you for your interest in the market sounding for the ACT’s next generation public transport ticketing system.

We are seeking advice from ticketing and real time passenger information system venders to inform the procurement planning for transitioning to a future transport fare collection system to replace the existing Canberra MyWay (ticketing) and NXTBUS (RTPI) systems.

This is an exciting opportunity for interested industry wanting to deliver a ticketing system that is flexible, innovative, and able to meet the needs of Canberra’s growing public transport network.

This market sounding will inform the design of the final procurement approach due out to market in mid-2021.

Market sounding will be open until close of business 14 May 2021.

Project Overview

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a self-governed territory in the south east of Australia. The only city in the ACT is Canberra, the capital of Australia with an estimated population of 445,000 as at 2021.

The ACT Government, through Transport Canberra, is seeking advice from ticketing and real time passenger information system venders to inform its procurement planning for transitioning to a future transport fare collection system to replace the existing Canberra MyWay (ticketing) and Nxtbus (RTPI) systems. Transport Canberra is planning an open tender process commencing Mid 2021 with the view to have an operational system for 2023. Any information that you supply will help to inform procurement planning.

Current system

The current Canberra MyWay ticketing system is a contactless card-based system deployed on approximately 450 Canberra buses and 13 Light rail stations (soon to be 14 stations). There are no gated stations in the Canberra public transport system. MyWay processes approximately 15.6 million paid transactions each year. The system provides contactless card-based smartcard system and paper tickets. MyWay cards have a high rate of market penetration with over 93 percent of adult trips paid for using a MyWay card.

Characteristics of possible new system

Next generation ticketing is being delivered in many cities across the world and includes the use of easy to use, account-based technology that allows users to manage and pay for their travel from their mobile device or credit card. COVID-19 has provided Transport Canberra with a unique opportunity to accelerate a cashless ticketing system. Given the forced implementation under the current pandemic environment we have revised the scope to remove the requirement for providers to accommodate cash transactions, allowing the Territory to move to 100% cashless public transport system as well as a future focussed cost effective state of the art ticketing solution.

The envisioned system will support Transport Canberra’s multi modal transport network that includes bus and light rail. It is also planned to leverage MaaS (Mobility as a Service) opportunities to enhance connectivity and accessibility to a broad range of users included disadvantaged groups through platforms which enable integration with a range of other services, integrated and simpler journey planning, and more targeted service provision in the future.

The procurement project will include replacement of the current back office with an account based, open architecture system and real time communications that facilitates open loop payments such as mobile ticketing and the use of credit / debit cards. The vendor will be required to provide core operational ticketing services over the service term and to supply tokens in an appropriate format. In addition to ticketing, Transport Canberra is seeking to incorporate a real time passenger information system into any future ticketing system to enable commuters to plan and pay for their journey within the same platform. Transport Canberra foresee innovation in RTPI system technology that enables greater flexibility to manage its operational networks with data rich network performance reporting tools.

Transport Canberra provide a broad range of customer concessions and free travel. It is intended that the new solution will facilitate the concessionary needs of our vulnerable Canberran’s whilst providing opportunities to improve the accessibility of public transport to those who most need it.