All aboard SmartRider and farewell MultiRider

17/02/07

Perth’s public transport users are taking to the new SmartRider ticketing system so quickly that MultiRider tickets will be withdrawn from sale next month.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said SmartRider now accounted for 66 per cent of Transperth’s non-cash sales.

MultiRiders would no longer be sold after March 4, though Transperth would continue to honour them for a further five weeks until April 8.

“Since SmartRider went public a month ago, card numbers have risen to 400,000 and the number of regular users has doubled to 60,000,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“Tag-on transactions have increased from 35,000 to more than 96,500 a day.”

Anyone still using a MultiRider should use up their rides and switch to SmartRider as soon as possible.

When the Multirider is withdrawn in April, remaining credit can be transferred to a SmartRider card, but cash refunds will not be available.

“MultiRider has served us well since the early 90s, but the magnetic-stripe technology upon which it is based is well out of date,” the Minister said.

“Western Australia is once again leading the rest of the country by successfully introducing an electronic ticketing system and making public transport safer and more efficient.

“It also means Transperth can better focus its resources on our customers’ needs.”